Songs from the Sea
by DD42
Summary: He had always thought the dreams were just dreams; that the stories his father told him were just stories; and that the songs he heard drift in on the wind were just his imagination. He never imagined them to be true…or, rather, that he had forgotten the truth. (Fantasy/Mermaid AU, *RATING MAY CHANGE*...Cover Art created by BakaFangirl)
1. Chapter 1

_**Songs from the Sea**_

A/N: Hello everyone and welcome to another foray into the Fairy Tail universe. For those of you who are familiar with my stories, I welcome you back. For those of you who are not familiar with me, I welcome you and hope you enjoy the first of many chapters to come.

This time, I will be writing a Fantasy/Mermaid AU. I have read a few Fairy Tail mermaid AU's and figured I'd try my hand at writing one myself after toying around with the idea; it never hurt to try right? Plus, stories likes this-stories about the sea-whether they be about mermaids, odyssey's, pirate adventures, and ghost ships have always fascinated me. So what better way to capitalize on that interest than write about it!?

So, before any of you ask: yes, this story will be centered on Natsu and Lucy. However, they will not always be the main focus of this story as I will be focusing on other characters as well. Mix things up a little.

Note, the rating for this story is "T" for now but it may change depending on where I go with this plot and subject matter wise.

As always, I hope you will give your honest opinion with your review and if you have any questions regarding this story feel free to ask it in your review which I will either reply to in the next chapter or respond to ASAP, or you can PM me; whatever works for you! Just please don't be too harsh with your criticisms…there's only so much a guy can take.

 _ **DISCLAIMER:**_ I do not own Fairy Tail; Hiro Mashima and Kodansha Comics USA own it. If I did own Fairy Tail…well let's just say some things would be different.

So without further ado *cracks neck and knuckles*, let's begin!

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DESCRIPTION: He had always thought the dreams were just dreams; that the stories his father told him were just stories; and that the songs he heard drift in on the wind were just his imagination. He never imagined them to be true…or, rather, that he had forgotten the truth.

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CHAPTER 1: A place called Home

XXXX

" _And what's that one?" The boy had asked, pointing to the stars above. As far as he could see, the stars lit the nighttime sky with a subdued glow that illuminated all around it._

 _He had no doubt that no matter how hard he tried, he'd never be able to count them all. They were simply too vast, too infinite to measure._

 _The girl next to him giggled and took his hand, helping him trace a series of particularly bright stars in the sky. This one was another of the many constellations that lit the night. His father had given a rather confusing explanation as to what the constellations were so he never truly understood the concept…at least, not until he had met his friend._

 _Not until she had put things into a simpler light._

 _They lay on the sand together, the surf gently licking at their feet, and the cool breeze from ocean gently ruffled their hair._

" _That's Draco, 'The Dragon.' Mama said he was a super, super cool sky dragon but he died to save his friends; the other stars."_

" _Whoa." The boy whispered, his mind thinking back to the adventure stories his father loved to tell him._

" _And that one?" The boy asked moving his hand and his friend helped him trace the constellation._

" _That's Aquarius, 'The Water Bearer'," the girl smiled, "she's really pretty and my mama is really good friends with her."_

" _Your mom is friends with the stars?" He asked, brow furrowing in confusion, "How can she get all the way up there?"_

 _The girl giggled, a wonderful sound that the boy thought similar to bells chiming, "No silly, my mama's friends were named after those stars. They have super special powers and your people named them in honor of the stars."_

" _Really? I didn't know that." The boy said before frowning slightly, "I don't know a lot of stuff."_

" _It's alright, I don't know a lot of stuff either. That's why mama and papa are always teaching me new things. They say when I grow up, I'll be very special and have important things to do."_

" _Sounds like fun." The boy smiled back._

" _Not really," the girl frowned slightly, "there's a lot of things I have to remember and it gets boring after a while."_

" _Well…at least we can still play together. Maybe next time you can bring your big sister and your friends and we can all play together like last time!"_

" _Really?" The girl asked, eyes and smile wide._

" _Yeah, really!" The boy grinned back._

" _Oh that'll be so wonderful!" The girl squealed in delight, pulling him into a tight hug._

" _You're the bestest-best friend ever!"_

" _You know it." He grinned, returning the hug._

 _After a moment, the girl pulled back and dug into the small pouch at her hip, retrieving an item from within. She then held her palms out and open for him to see what it was. It was necklace, he realized after a minute, made from a thick dark chord and adorned with sea shells and pieces of green and blue crystal._

" _This if for you," The girl smiled, quickly tying it around the boy's neck, "I made it myself."_

" _Really? Thanks!" Natsu smiled, inspecting the necklace, "What is it?"_

" _It's a promise necklace." The girl explained, "Where I'm from, girls make these for boys we want to make a life promise with."_

" _A life promise?" He asked, cocking his head slightly._

" _Mhmm," the girl nodded, "my mama gave one to my papa, Aries gave one to Loke, Aquarius gave one to Scorpio, and now I'm giving one to you. Mama told me these necklaces mean a boy and girl can be best friends forever and ever."_

" _Cool," the boy beamed, "I wish I could give you something like this. I want to be your best friend forever too."_

 _The girl giggled in delight while the boy pursed his lips in thought before snapping his fingers._

" _I know!" The boy said, wrapping his pinkie finger around the girls._

" _I pinkie promise that you and me will always be best friends, no matter what." The boy gave a firm shake to emphasize the conviction of his promise._

 _His father had taught him to never go back on his word when he made a promise. A promise was forever and to break one was one of the worst things a person could ever do._

" _Promise?" The boy asked._

 _The girl smiled sweetly with a giggle._

" _I promise."_

And then he woke up, courtesy of a wave crashing against the hull of the ship.

"...That dream again?" He muttered, pinching his brow, "Third time this month."

Awake, he stared up at the planks and boards that held the upper deck of the ship together. The flame of the lantern flickered in time with the gentle rocking of the ship as it sailed through the relatively calm waters of the open ocean. He hoped the flickering flame and steady motions of the ship would rock him back to sleep but tonight, the usually calming movements seemed to lack the usual effect over him.

So with a groan, Natsu Dragneel stood up from his cot and cracked his neck and back. The hold of the ship itself was packed with cargo and a few other passengers who were back on their way to the islands. They slept on their own haphazardly placed cots amongst the crates but did not seem the least bothered by the rocking of the ship. But, then again, he supposed anyone from the islands was used to the calm ebb and flow the waves brought.

At twenty one years old, he was tall, lean, and muscular with sun kissed skin and short, salmon pink hair. His dark green eyes glinted in the lantern glow as he let them adjust to the low light. Scars and tattoo's covered his body, making them the most prominent features aside from his hair.

His scars consisted of a ragged scar on his right cheek and neck while an "X" shaped scar had healed over on the lower left half of his abdomen. His tattoos were a mix between a black dragon tattoo on his right forearm and tribal tattoos on his shoulders that merged on his back to form another dragon while the lower half of the dragon turned into an inverted orca; the coloring of the tattoos changing from black and red to black and blue.

His stature, combined with his scars and ink, made him the quintessential south islander.

His choice of clothing consisted of a sleeveless waist coat-set atop his rucksack-along with a pair of white trousers and leather belt. Tied around his head and neck was a bandana and his father's scarf, black bands on his wrists, and pair of lace less leather boots.

Sighing, Natsu put on his waist coat and made his way to the top deck. The wind brought the smell of the sea and the taste of salt on his lips. It had been years since he had last experienced these tastes and scents and it made him all the more eager to return back to the island he called home.

He waved to the helmsman who stood at the wheel of the ship before walking over to the railing, bracing his arms against it.

He had been fifteen when he and his father-Igneel-had been called from the island to the mainland. War had come to the kingdom of Ishgar and the people of the islands, who had a long standing tradition of maintaining world renowned warriors, had been called to defend the kingdom.

It would be six years before Ishgar emerged victorious.

Six long years that had seen him both gain and lose friends, kill to save those friends, and had taken his father's life. Natsu had returned to the island, albeit briefly, to lay Igneel to rest on the island. It had been two years before the war came to a close and Natsu resented the fact that Igneel never got to see victory.

Now he was coming back to the island, war weary but victorious. Back to the quiet comforts of the small, sea faring towns and its people. Back to the house by the sea he and Igneel called home. Back to the overlook where Igneel could watch the sun rise and set against the horizon in peace.

Natsu sighed and glanced down at the water before blinking in surprise as a humpback whale and her calf surfaced near the side of the ship. In the dim light, he could see their eyes briefly peer back at him before they disappeared back beneath the waves. They were mostly curious about the ship and had decided to inspect it before going about their early morning search for breakfast. They drifted a few yards from ship before breaching in a magnificent arch and crashing down beneath the waves.

But then, he saw something rather peculiar. It was either a trick of the low light or his sleep addled mind, but Natsu swore he saw something else leap out of the water with the whales. He saw two of them, both with long tails and streamlined bodies; their movement swift and graceful. Natsu double blinked in an attempt to refocus but by then they too had disappeared with the whales.

Natsu sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. They were either porpoises or dolphins. The sea mammals loved to follow and play with around the whales so it wouldn't surprise him if they had decided to follow the mama and her calf.

But either way, his journey to the top deck had served its purpose of returning his fatigue and Natsu could feel his eyes getting heavy once more.

The sky was turning indigo at the horizon which meant the sun would be rising soon. It wouldn't be long before they reached the island and docked at the port. Natsu decided to head back down to his cot and get what little sleep he could.

He had a rather busy day ahead of him after all.

XXXX

 _ **Later that morning…**_

"Natsu? Natsu is that you!?"

"It's Natsu! I'd recognize that hair color anywhere!"

"Oi Natsu, welcome home!"

"Welcome home kiddo!"

"Hey guys, look! Salamander's back!"

Natsu waved to the boatmen on the nearby dock as he disembarked the cargo ramp, adjusting his rucksack as he did so. It was here that the scents of the sea and towns mixed in the air and although many would find such a mixture foul, to Natsu, it only served to ground the fact that he was finally home.

That he was finally back on Tenrou Island, home to the twin towns of Hargeon and Magnolia.

The two towns were set apart by the Tenrou River which ran directly from the Great Tenrou Tree which overshadowed the whole island, making the island visible for miles all around. The towns themselves consisted of narrow, cobblestone streets, white sandstone buildings, a large stone bridge that spanned the river, and a pleasant atmosphere that seemingly hung over all the island.

Natsu smiled broadly and waved to the townsfolk who called out to him, making his way from the docks and into Magnolia.

"The Hero of Tenrou", "Dragon Slayer," and, "Warrior" were all cheered and called out to him as he passed on by.

Being one of the islands warriors made him a bit of a celebrity but it was a fact that weighed heavily on his heart. Out of the few hundred men and women who had been called to help defend Ishgar, he and his father included…only he remained.

The rest had died in battle…same as Igneel had.

They had all been brought back to the island and had received a hero's welcome, even in death. But although Natsu himself had been labeled a hero, he didn't feel like one. Not when his comrades were laying in the islands cemetery, six feet under in pine wood coffins.

He was simply a warrior, helping defend those in need. He didn't need to be called a hero for doing what was right.

"My, my," A voice spoke up, snapping Natsu out of his stupor, "the hero of Tenrou returns. The fame isn't getting to your head now is it?"

Leaning into the shade of a nearby wall was an old man. He was short, almost comically so, with a balding head, thick mustache, and wore a wide brim straw hat, a blue Aloha shirt with khaki shorts and sandals. A smoking pipe was clutched in his hand and the man took a quick puff before blowing a smoke ring into the air.

The two men smiled at one another as Natsu bent down and extended his hand, the two men clasping forearms in a traditional island greeting.

"Old man Makarov," Natsu grinned, "it's nice to see that you haven't shrunk down into a fairy yet."

"Watch it boy, I may be old but don't think I can't kick your ass." Makarov Dreyar grinned back, giving Natsu's arm a firm shake.

Makarov was one of the oldest serving members of the islands council and had earned the respect of everyone on the island. He was held in such high regard that many of the children who grew up on the island, Natsu included, thought of him as a quasi-grandfather figure. "Old man Makarov" or "Gramps" were two of the more common nicknames given to the aging councilman.

"It's damn good to see you Natsu. Welcome home."

"It's good to be home." Natsu replied.

"Come, let's head over to the bar and get you some grub; my treat." Makarov motioned for Natsu to follow.

"You don't have to, I have enough money to buy lunch." Natsu waved his hand dismissively. Given the substantial compensation he had received from the Ishgar government for his service, Natsu was certain he could pay for lunch, dinner, and then some.

"Nope, you gave too damn much for that reward they gave you. Humor me and let an old man treat one of my crazy kids to something nice."

Natsu sighed but smiled as Makarov gave him a slap on the back. Makarov was a stubborn old man and it was pointless to argue with him. Besides…who was he to turn down a free meal.

The two men walked along the town's main canal at a leisurely pace, catching each other up on their daily lives and what had happened on the island and abroad while Natsu had been on the mainland.

"Life has gone on, same as it has this year and the year before that." Makarov said, taking another puff from his pipe.

"However, we recently received word that a few trade ships from Enca went missing."

"Enca?" Natsu asked, "What happened? Did they get caught in a storm or something like that?"

"No idea." Makarov said, "The Weather News said the skies were clear they day the ships went out."

Natsu arched his brow, "Weather News?"

"Ah yes," Makarov nodded with a smile, "the communication lacrima given to us by the kingdom. It has allowed us to stay more up to date on the news; keeps us in touch with the outside world."

"Would you believe me if I told you they had invented that for the military?" Natsu asked with a grin, hands laced behind his head.

"After three years of testing, they finally got the damn crystals to work. It helped us stay one step ahead of the enemy. By the time those Alvarez creeps figured out what we were up to, it was too late."

"Ah yes; word of their crushing defeat has spread far and wide all over the world. We also heard that you spearheaded the final battle." Makarov gave a knowing smile.

Natsu shrugged simply, "All I did was lead the charge and help breach the defenses. Nothing special."

"You helped end a six year war Natsu, I think that counts as special." Makarov quipped.

"I don't feel special…" Natsu frowned, looking to sky, "out of everyone from the island who fought in the war, I'm the only one left. Not even my dad made it through."

"Our people have a proud legacy of mighty warriors. You were trained from a young age to carry on that legacy; you were taught the risks and responsibilities of being a warrior. Your father and comrades died with honor…and we in turn honored them for their sacrifice."

"Still doesn't make it any easier." Natsu sighed.

"No one said it would be. It's up to you to decide whether you'll wallow in grief or carry on with your life. In the end…that's all you can do."

Makarov frowned deeply as a disheartened look formed in his eyes. He took a series of long puffs from his pipe before shaking his head. Natsu had a very good understanding as to what, or rather, _who_ Makarov was thinking about.

"Dad and I heard about Laxus…I'm so sorry Makarov." Natsu said.

"I know, I got your letters." Makarov gave Natsu a sad smile, "The Sea claimed him just as it claimed his mother. Thank you, by the way; for the letters I mean. I meant to thank you at Igneel's funeral but decided not to. It didn't seem appropriate at the time."

The two men spoke of Makarov's grandson, Laxus Dreyar. Laxus had been three years older than Natsu and many of the other children his age looked up to Laxus like an older brother. He and Laxus had shared a close friendship and the older boy had taken it upon himself to look after Natsu when Igneel couldn't.

However, Laxus had lived a hard life early on. His father, Ivan Dreyar, was the captain of a trade ship with his mother being his first mate. During a freak storm, Laxus had lost his mother when she had been knocked overboard…and was never seen from again. Ivan-to put it bluntly-lost his mind at the death of his wife and had descended into a downward spiral he never recovered from.

Eventually Ivan's madness and anger drove him to a life of crime, culminating in him being banished from Tenrou island and becoming an infamous pirate. And while Ivan caused havoc on the high seas, Makarov took Laxus into his care. And for a time, things seemed to be looking up for the young Dreyar. However, the long enjoyed peace he had was shattered when a year before Natsu and Igneel had been called upon to fight for Ishgar, Ivan and his pirate fleet had returned to Tenrou in an attempt to take over the island.

But the islanders fought back. They fought back harder than Ivan had anticipated and made him bleed for his arrogance.

Ivan and his pirates had failed to take Tenrou…but in the chaos, Ivan had kidnapped Laxus.

Makarov was heartbroken at the loss of his grandson and it would be two years before his fate was learned.

In the mist of the fighting on Ishgar, Igneel had learned from an Ishgar naval officer that Ivan's fleet had been on the run after Tenrou and had tried to bring his crimes to the waters around Caelum. In a coordinated ambush, the navies of Caelum and a small Ishgar taskforce had intercepted Ivan and the remainder of his fleet. Ivan and the rest of the pirates were subsequently wiped out, and in the process, Laxus had inadvertently been sent to a watery grave.

The news was a blow to the islanders both at home and abroad. Even with it being seven years since Laxus's death, Natsu was sure Makarov was still grieving for him. Hell, he still had yet to move on from Igneel's death.

"These things take time lad," Makarov said, "we all heal in our own ways. So long as we cherish the memories we have, the fallen will never truly be gone."

"Amen to that." Natsu said, casting a two fingered salute out to the sea.

"Come, we're almost at the tavern. Less focus on the doom and gloom and more about the here and now; tell me all about your adventures over a few rounds of ale."

Natsu smirked and shook his head in mock resignation, "If I must."

"Attaboy!" Makarov beamed, giving Natsu a hefty slap on the back…and promptly made Natsu trip over his own feet and fall into the canal.

"Whoops." Makarov sweat dropped as Natsu splashed and sputtered in the water.

XXXX

Luckily for Natsu it was a balmy, hot day and he was dry shortly after being pulled out of the water.

Amidst some muffled curses and grumbling from Natsu, he and Makarov made their way to Magnolia's iconic "Typhoon Tavern" where Natsu received another bout of cheers and welcomes from the staff and patrons.

He was uncomfortable from the praise at first but after two ales and getting some food in his stomach, Natsu found himself at ease. And so he regaled Makarov and the patrons with tales of the many battles and travels he had been involved in over the last six years.

"You actually killed a dragon? Like for real? You better not be pulling my leg." One of the bar patrons asked Natsu.

The warrior took a hefty drink of his ale, "Yep. Killed it; killed it dead."

"I thought dragons couldn't be killed," someone added, "that they were immortal."

"Nah, that's just a bunch of mystical bull. The things bleed same as the rest of us…but they are powerful. Damn thing wiped out half of the regiment before I was able to pierce its hide."

"Surprised you made it out in one piece." Makarov said.

"I wouldn't say that," Natsu patted the scar on his abdomen, "thing did take a good swipe at me."

"Well, at least you still have all of your fingers and toes." Makarov added, making both him and Natsu chuckle.

"What's this!?" A voice said above the laughter of the patrons from the main door, "Someone's having a party and didn't invite us!?"

"Oh no." Makarov groaned and palmed his face.

"Who are those three?" Natsu muttered as he watched three crudely dressed men enter the tavern.

They were rough and a bit unkempt looking and wore dark clothing while shouldering large weapons. And to Natsu, he knew trouble when he saw it…and that these three newcomers may have been overcompensating for something given the size of their weapons. But that was up for debate of course.

"Sylph Labrynth Treasure Hunters." Makarov whispered as the three men strutted into the tavern as if they owned it.

"Sylph Labrynth? Aren't they the guys your old man used to run with before he went on the straight and narrow?" Natsu asked, receiving a nod from Makarov.

"At least when my father worked for them, they had some concept of honor and rules. Now they're just a bunch of thugs who'll do anything to make a quick buck. These three have been coming into town as of late talking about all sorts of nonsense."

"What kind of nonsense?" Natsu asked as the three treasure hunters waltzed up to the bar.

"Hiroshi, Drake, Lala; what the hell do you three want?" The bartender grunted in disdain.

"Easy pops, we're just stopping in for a drink while our ship gets loaded up. Working the sea all day does wet ones palate and all that. So what do you say, want to fix us up with some drinks?" Hiroshi said, making it apparent he was the leader of the trio.

"After what you three did last time? Forget it." The bartender said flatly.

"Take your business elsewhere because I don't want it."

Hiroshi grinned wickedly and looked to his compatriots, "You here that fella's? This guy doesn't want our money all because we broke a few tables last time."

Hiroshi then drew the large sword he had slung over his back and promptly brought it down on a nearby table, startling the tavern crowd.

"Oh for the love of…" Natsu scoffed as he bent down to his rucksack, retrieving one of his weapons.

"Then I guess you won't mind if we break a few more!" Hiroshi cackled as promptly sliced a table in two while people were still sitting at it.

Lala had unslung his massive, palm shaped hammer and promptly used it to smash the countertop of the bar.

"Are you three crazy!? You're going to bring the whole place down!" The bartender cried out in alarm.

"Oh, what's a little damage?" Drake cackled as he fired his rifle into the ceiling, making the patrons duck for cover.

"You obviously can pay for it since you don't want our money!"

The rifleman was suddenly and promptly spun around and received a solid right hook that knocked him into the nearby support beam with a pained, "OOF!"

Hiroshi and Lala turned around to see Natsu standing in Drake's place, a wakizashi short sword in hand; the black steel glinting in the dim tavern light.

"Who the hell are you?" Hiroshi snarled, leveling his sword at Natsu, "Huh!? Who the hell do you think you are to mess with the likes of us?"

"The name is Natsu Dragneel." Natsu bit back, "And as a resident of this island, I don't much appreciate it when people start wrecking one of my favorite hangouts."

"Natsu Dragneel?" Hiroshi scoffed, "The war hero? Get real kid. Natsu Dragneel is some badass from Ishgar, not some hotshot islander."

"Care to back up those words?" Natsu said, spinning his sword into a reverse grip.

"Don't have to." Hiroshi sneered, "Lala, show this punk what happens when he messes with treasure hunters."

Lala simply grunted and charged Natsu, hammer raised to strike. Natsu briefly rolled his eyes, waited for Lala to get close, and ducked past the man when he brought his hammer down. The floor splintered but Natsu paid it no mind as he connected his elbow with the back of Lala's head; knocking him senseless.

"Why you little…!" Hiroshi snarled as he charged Natsu, sword raised.

The swordsman swung and slashed at Natsu but each time, Natsu merely sidestepped and evaded Hiroshi's attacks with a bored expression on his face. Natsu ducked under a particularly sloppy strike, pivoted behind Hiroshi and promptly sent him out the door with a forceful kick to the rear. Hiroshi tumbled end over end into the street before coming to a stop flat on his face.

"Ouch." Was Hiroshi's muffled response to his literal ass-kicking.

His head was sharply pulled back by his hair and before he could cry out, he felt cold steel pressed to his neck. There were the brief sounds of a scuffle from inside the tavern and soon enough, Hiroshi was joined by Drake and Lala as the bar patrons hauled them out of the tavern.

"Listen and listen good, because I'm only going to tell you this once." Natsu said through clenched teeth.

"If I catch you back in my town I'm going to kick your ass seven ways to Sunday, all the way to Caelum. I just got back from a six year war and I do not need you nor your pals screwing up what little peace I have left. Beat it and don't come back."

Natsu roughly hauled Hiroshi to his feet, same as his companions, before shoving him off.

The three men glared at Natsu before he pointed his blade at them with a fierce growl, forcing them to break out into a run.

"You'll regret this, you hear!?" Hiroshi called back as he ran down the street, "Once we find Fiore and unlock it's treasure and power, you're going to wish you never messed with Sylph Labrynth!"

"Beat it ya hooligans!" Makarov barked back.

Natsu sighed heavily and sheathed his sword before giving Makarov an incredulous look.

"Fiore? Seriously?" Natsu said with the universal, 'you've got to be kidding me,' smirk.

"They are treasure hunters as much as I am loathe to admit it." Makarov said, drawing his pipe and lighting a new pinch of tobacco. The scent of burning oak filled the air from the pipe.

"No, they're a bunch of dumbasses who are chasing a myth. Honestly, my dad never shut up about that place. You'd think it was real from the way he'd carry on about it."

"The lost kingdom that used to rule Tenrou Island and the surrounding islands before the gods sank it beneath the waves." Makarov said sagely.

"Where an undersea kingdom controls the depths of the sea and fair maidens glide through the water as mermaids; protectors of a great treasure and wielders of an even greater magic."

"You actually buy into that old spook story?" Natsu arched a brow.

"No, not really, but it's one that I do enjoy. I wouldn't worry about those morons; I think you got your point across."

"Better have, otherwise I think the practice of human sacrifice is going to have to be brought back." Natsu smiled wryly.

"Bah, you know we only save that sort of thing for the solstices, equinoxes, and New Year's celebrations." Makarov quipped before he and Natsu let out a series of hearty laughs.

"C'mon, the sun is starting to set. Let's get you back home and settled in before the sun goes down completely."

"Thanks." Natsu said as they ventured back into the tavern. He quickly dug into his rucksack and retrieved a bound stack of 100 Jewel notes, setting it on what was left of the bar top for the bartender.

"For the mess." He smirked as the man balked at the wad of money and Natsu.

"Some of your compensation I presume?" Makarov asked as he gestured for two of the patrons to follow along. They didn't have to be told that Natsu would need help getting things settled back at his house.

"Yep." Natsu said with a pop of his lips.

"Tell me, is the house still in one piece?"

Makarov dug into his pocket and produced an iron key, "Same as you left it. Storm shutters are still down and we'll have to tinker with the plumbing but other than that, I've stopped by once a month along with a helper or two and we've kept the house dust free, spider free, and in tip top shape as per your father's request. You're in luck by the way, we just cleaned up a few days ago so everything should be fine for you."

"Thanks Gramps," Natsu smiled, "this means a lot. I'm sure Igneel would've appreciated you doing all of this for us."

"Think nothing of it. Your father and I go way back so who was I to turn down a request for help from him. Besides, looking after your house gave me something to do. It does get a tad monotonous around here."

"Wouldn't have it any other way." Natsu smiled softly as he and his small group made their way through the rest of Magnolia.

"Speaking of your father, I also tended to his grave in your absence. The cliff hasn't fallen away, as I don't expect it to anytime soon, so he's still there if you wish to visit him."

"The man would haunt me if I didn't." Natsu chuckled.

XXXX

Natsu's home was set about a mile and half outside of Magnolia. Here, the cityscape gave way the natural beauty of Tenrou Island. Rocky outcroppings, forests both thick and thin, tall grass, rocky shoreline, and pristine white sand beaches.

A natural path led from the main road that led further inland and trailed down to the edge of a quiet, secluded beach. The tall grass swayed as the men meandered down to the beach, followed along the surf, and found the house waiting for them. It was a single story building made of sturdy hard wood and had stone roof shingles. Tall pane windows faced the sea but were covered by heavy storm shutters.

A small shed sat out in the back and a simple fence outlined the property.

Natsu smiled, remembering the warmth and comfort he had always felt when he entered the home. How he would lay by the fireplace and listen to Igneel read him stories and tell him of his many adventures both on and off the island.

"Well, home sweet home." Makarov said as he handed Natsu the key Igneel had left him.

"Why don't you duck inside while we take care of the storm shutters. After that, we'll check the water and you'll be good to go. Do you need to get anything to eat from town?"

"Nah," Natsu shook his head, "I got some spare rations in my pack I can eat. I'll go shopping and fishing tomorrow. Right now I just want to settle down for the night."

"Well, if you need anything you know where to find us" Makarov said as Natsu unlocked the door and stepped foot inside.

His boots echoed off the floor as he immediately stepped into the living room. Outside, the shutters were propped one at a time allowing light to fill the room. The fire place sat empty, the lanterns and candles still hung from the walls, and the pictures of him and Igneel smiled back at him. Natsu set his rucksack down near Igneel's rocking chair and slowly took his time inspecting the house. He made his way to the kitchen, the bath and washroom, Igneel's work room-his bench still cluttered with tools-and finally the back rooms where Igneel and Natsu slept.

Natsu smiled softly as he leaned against the door frame to his old room; the handmade quilt Igneel had made still draped over his bed. He then looked over his shoulder where Igneel's empty bed stared back at him. On may a stormy night when he had been little, he had crawled into that same bed and huddled next to Igneel; knowing his father would protect him from the storms outside.

Natsu sighed wistfully and shook his head.

It was going to take some getting used to living in this empty house now.

"Natsu," Makarov called back from the front, "we got the shutters up, windows are open, and the water is back on. You're all set."

"Thanks." Natsu said, walking back to the front, "I'll take it from here. You guy's going to be able to find your way back okay?"

"There's still enough light left so I think we'll manage. Besides, it's kind of hard to miss the town." One of the men replied.

"We'll be alright." Makarov nodded, "Go pay your father a visit. I'm sure he's missed you."

"Read my mind." Natsu smirked, shaking the elderly man's hand before bidding him and the others farewell.

After the men had left and as the fading light was beginning to turn crimson on the horizon, Natsu ducked back inside, dug around his pack before finding what he was looking for. Pocketing the item, Natsu set off at a brisk pace up the shore before taking another natural path that led through a brief patch of woods. Soon enough, Natsu was walking up to the edge of the island; a cliff that overlooked a secluded, small cove.

A memory of laying on the sand of the cove and tracing the stars touched his mind but Natsu cast it away just as quickly as it appeared.

With a heavy sigh, Natsu stopped a dozen feet from the edge of the cliff and stood before a single, solitary tombstone.

The etching on the stone read:

 _Igneel Dragneel  
Beloved friend and loving father  
A warrior of Tenrou  
"May we meet by the sea and enjoy everlasting peace under the stars."  
_

Natsu kneeled down before the grave and withdrew the item he had retrieved from his pack. It had been a birthday gift from Igneel when he had turned thirteen and it had helped bring him comfort throughout the war.

It was a red, black, and blue clay triple chamber Ocarina. Smoothed to the point that it sported a polished gloss, the flute had always managed to calm Natsu and put him at ease whenever he played it. It had taken many lessons from Igneel along with a fair amount of cursing from both father and son but Natsu was confident he could play a few simple tunes.

Most of the time however he simply played the notes randomly, like the way one lazily strums a guitar.

And that is what Natsu did as he sat down before Igneel's grave. He brought the ocarina to his lips and began to play the notes at random, the music smoothly leaving the flute and echoing out into the wind. The whole time, Natsu never said a word. He used the music to talk to Igneel; to tell of his adventures and how he helped bring the war to an end.

He felt at peace, being back on the island with his father. Even though he was gone, Natsu could feel Igneel watching over him. Something he hadn't felt all those miles away from home, entrenched on the battlefield. He wasn't necessarily a spiritual man by any means but he could feel certain things in the ebb and flow of the world around him. Whether it be in the wind, on land, or at sea, Natsu had felt a connection to everything around him for as long as he could remember.

Igneel had always told him that connection was a gift. That it was something that set him apart from everyone else.

Igneel, Natsu mused with a slight smile, had always been weird like that. He always made things sound like there was more to the world than their lives on the island and the outside world. That there was always something out there waiting to be discovered.

But without Igneel around now, Natsu knew he was slowly beginning to lose that sentiment. His father had meant the world to him and without him…he felt that a piece of him had died with Igneel as well.

Eventually, Natsu stopped playing his music and sat before the grave in silence. It wasn't until the stars lit the sky did Natsu stand and bid Igneel farewell, promising to return to visit soon. Looking to the sky, Natsu absentmindedly began to trace the constellations with his eyes before raising his hand and tracing the stars that formed Draco.

" _I pinkie promise that you and me will always be best friends, no matter what."_

Natsu paused and then slowly lowered his hand, frowning. That dream was now beginning to haunt him and it was starting to move towards agitating.

Sighing once more, Natsu shoved his hands into his pockets and used the starlight to find his way back home.

XXXX

 _ **Midnight…**_

The fire embers filled the living room with a soft glow, much like the lanterns had back on the ship.

Natsu lay at the center of room atop a pile of blankets and pillows, fast asleep. He hadn't bothered to make his bed or unpack most of his rucksack. It had been a long day and after scarfing down the rations that he had, Natsu's fatigue had finally caught up with him. The moment he hand finished making his impromptu bed, Natsu flopped down onto the pillows and blankets, pulled one over his head, and was asleep in a heartbeat.

The windows remained open, however, allowing fresh air and a cool breeze to circulate through the house.

But with the breeze, it also carried something else.

To the normal person, they'd be hard pressed to hear it. But for Natsu…the sound tickled at his ears. It found its way into his unconscious mind and slowly coaxed him back to the waking world. Confused, he sat up bleary eyed and blinked slowly, his ears adjusting to the breeze and the sounds it carried.

Singing, he realized after a minute and perking back to life.

Someone's melodic singing was drifting in with the wind.

Perplexed and wondering who in the hell would be out this far in the dead of night, Natsu stretched his back and arms with an audible crack before throwing on his pants. He made his way outside, attuning his hearing to the song.

And after a minute of standing completely still, Natsu realized the singing was drifting down from the cliff.

Was someone visiting Igneel's grave? If that was true, then who?

Setting out into a light jog, Natsu followed the singing back to the cliff. Although there was no moon, the light of the stars once again guided him and when he finally came back to Igneel's grave, he found that no one was there; much to his surprise.

And to add to it, the singing had stopped.

"The hell?" Natsu asked, scratching the back of his head.

"It sounded like it came from here…was I imagining things?"

Natsu frowned and walked back to Igneel's grave. The grass was still slightly matted from where he had sat earlier but there didn't appear to be any other signs of life. Just the wind and the gentle crashing of the waves below. Natsu scratched the back of his head again.

"I know I heard something…it got clearer and clearer the closer I got to this place." Natsu frowned, crossing his arms with a frustrated huff.

"Damnit, am I starting to lose my mind…or have I already lost it?"

Throwing his hands up, Natsu made to turn on his heel…but froze the minute the singing began once more and reached. It sounded closer, much closer than it had been before, as the wind carried it with better clarity.

But most of all, he recognized the tune that was being sung.

It was the exact same randomized music he had played at Igneel's grave.

Following the singing, Natsu realized it was coming down from the cove. Walking up to the edge of the cliff, Natsu peered down to the beach below. And there, in the starlight, Natsu could see someone laying on their back as the surf gently rolled over their legs.

He couldn't see much detail but given the singing, Natsu could tell it was a woman who lay on the sand.

"Hey!" Natsu cupped his hands to his mouth, "Hey! You down there!"

The singing stopped as the woman paused, pushed herself up on her arms, and looked up to where Natsu was calling from. Seeing as how he had her attention, Natsu backtracked and wound his way down the hill at the side of the cliff; nearly tripping over his own feet in his haste.

"Sorry if I startled you!" Natsu called out once more as he finally reached the sand and slid to a stop.

"I heard you singing and was wondering what you were…doing…out…here?" Natsu said. He had run over to where he had seen the woman…but she was gone.

"The hell?" Natsu asked aloud, "She was just here!?"

In the starlight, Natsu could see where the woman had been laying; her body having left a soft depression in the sand. Before he could properly observe it, the surf rolled up and washed it away.

Natsu let out a frustrated huff and rose once more, looking this way and that up and down the cove in search of the woman.

"Hello!?" He called out, "Hello!? I'm sorry if I scarred you, I didn't mean to!"

But his only response was the whispering of the wind and the gentle crashing of the waves.

"Where the hell did she go?" Natsu whispered, running his hand through his hair in frustration. He had booked it pretty good from the Igneel's grave and down the hillside. It couldn't have taken him more than a minute or two to make the trip. The woman shouldn't have been able to scurry off in that amount of time.

And yet she had vanished. Like a ghost of all things!

Either she had dove into the water-which he hoped she hadn't-or she had managed to dart off like a fairy on a sugar rush.

Or there was the possibility that he had imagined the whole damn thing and he was losing his mind. Given all that he had endured and seen in the last six years, Natsu didn't put it past himself to have some form of shellshock.

He spent a good amount of time searching the cove, going from end to end and even taking the risk of venturing out onto the rocky points of the cove. But in the end, he came up empty. There was simply no sign of the woman.

Sighing in both defeat and exhaustion, Natsu turned back to the hill and made his way back home. It would be a night of restless sleep for the young warrior.

…But unbeknownst to Natsu, he indeed had not been alone on that beach.

For the woman he had spotted had fled into the water and had floated just beneath the surface, her keen eyes piercing through both water to watch the human as he searched for her. The darkness both hid her and prevented her from getting a better look at the human male. She could see that he was tall but the night, even with the starlight, obscured his features.

There was something about him though that seemed…familiar, however. Perhaps it was in the way he moved or the way his voice carried out over the water. She couldn't be sure for certain though and she didn't want to press her luck.

Humans didn't have the best of reputations when it came to her people.

So she remained hidden beneath the surface, watching and following the man up and down the cove until he at last gave up in his search and turned back the way he'd came. With the man gone, she too decided to take her leave and return back to the depths of the sea lest she worry the others with her prolonged absence.

And so with a powerful kick of her tail and pull of her arms, the woman darted back off into the depths of the sea.

XXXX

" _Promise?" The boy asked._

 _The girl smiled sweetly with a giggle._

" _I promise."_

 _She pulled the boy into a hug once more and smiled when the boy returned the embrace._

" _You really are my best friend Natsu." The girl, Lucy, smiled as she placed a soft kiss on his forehead._

 _Natsu blushed but didn't shy away from Lucy. He simply scratched his cheek with a dopey grin._

" _Same to you Lucy."_

XXXX

A/N: So, what do ya'll think? Am I off to a good start?

As I said, I had the idea for this story on my mind for a while now and having finally written it out, it may seem a little rough around the edges. But, the more I write for this, the more concise I will become with the style for this story.

For an opening chapter, there was a lot to both take in and alluded to. Things will be explained as they progress. But for the time being, we have the hero of our story, a mystery, and a mysterious woman…whom I'm sure you already know who it is. Next chapter we'll be taking a look underwater to see what exactly is hiding down there and then we'll switch back to Natsu's POV.

Now, in regards to updating this story, there will be not set pattern for it. I usually mix up how I update my stories so it's not really set in stone how I'll carry this out.

Still, I hoped you enjoyed the first chapter as there are more to come.

Next time CHAPTER 2: Beneath the Waves

As per usual, if you guys have any comments or questions, please put it in your review and I'll make sure to respond to you in the next chapter. If you have anything else that you wish to ask me or clarify, you can PM me and I'll do my best to respond ASAP.

Until next time; read, review and most importantly of all, HAPPY READING!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hello everyone, I'm back! I want to make a quick apology for seemingly being inactive as of late as far as writing/working on my stories has been concerned. I have been picking up extra hours at my job lately and I've been prepping to head back to college which I will start once again come next Saturday. This will be my final semester and it's going to be slightly busy since I'll be working an internship on top of my classes. But, it shouldn't be too bad so expect to still hear from me. I won't go quietly into that good night!

But another part of the problem has been my writing itself…or to be the fact, that for the past couple of weeks I've been trying to update three stories at once and get them out before summer ends. Let me tell you hear and now that I will not be attempting such a thing again. Managing three chapters at once instead of one at a time has been a bit…crazy. So I'll go back to what I was doing of focusing on one story at a time and posting them accordingly.

Now that that's been covered, let's get back to the real reason you're here!

First and foremost I would like to give a big thank you and shout out to _**BakaFangirl**_ , who made the wonderful cover art for this story. It's rare for me to receive fan art for my writings so this was a pleasant but welcome surprise so all credit goes to her. BakaFangirl has actually made cover art for two of my favorite FT fanfic authors whom you may recognize; _**Mslead**_ and _**Hannah-Nobody,**_ most notably their stories "Parallels" and "A War On Two Fronts" respectively.

More to the point I am so happy to see that you all are enjoying this story, even with this marking the second chapter! It's so encouraging to see the response this story is getting and it makes my task of writing it all the more fun.

Last time, we were introduced to Natsu and the sea faring world he calls home. After being away for six years, he wants nothing more than to return to his home on Tenrou Island and live out his days in peace. Unfortunately, something seems to be stirring in the waters around the island and Natsu is about to find out that there is more going on than meets the eye. Meanwhile, we'll see what, or rather who, Natsu spotted on the night he returned home and get a look at a world that is very different from the one above.

As usual before I continue on with my chapters, here is a shout out to all you ladies and gents who were kind enough to leave a review last time around:

 _ **-Guest:**_ Hello and welcome to the story! I'm glad you're enjoying everything so far.

 _ **-Guest:**_ Hello and welcome! I assure you, Natsu and Lucy will meet within the next few chapters and there'll be plenty of characters to meet in this chapter alone. Will Laxus be in this chapter? See for yourself.

 _ **-ToastedWeirdBrain:**_ Hello, glad you are liking things so far!

 _ **-Guest:**_ Hello! Glad everything is going to your liking!

 _ **-Aliadriel:**_ Hello my friend, how are you!? I am so happy to see that you are liking this story. It's a bit weird to speak to you outside of PM and back to what got us talking in the first place, lol. I assure you, Natsu and Lucy are in for one hell of ride as things pick up as there is more to these two than meets the eye. Hope this holds you over until my next update!

 _ **-Guest:**_ Hello, I am glad to hear that not only do you enjoy this story but that you hold it in such high regard. I hope the wait wasn't too bad for this chapter and I hope you enjoy it.

 _ **-BakaFangirl:**_ Hello my dear, how are you? Words cannot described how grateful I am to you for all the hard work you put into the cover art you made for me. I know I've said this a million times in our PM's but once again; thank you. I am very pleased to hear how much you are enjoying this story and I hope the following chapters make you even more excited than the last for what is to come. Yes, I do have plans to give this story a mature rating (yes, there'll be some hardcore…stuff, later on, lol) but for now I'll try and keep things PG-13. So until we chat next or I update next, I hope this chapter will hold you over in the meantime. Oh, and do feel free to give my other stories a read lol.

 _ **-Valaroma:**_ As always my friend from afar, it is always wonderful to hear from you. I hope you are doing well. I am glad things are off to a good start for this story, I always get nervous when I post something new lol. I'm a goof, guilty as charged lol.

So with that all being said, I'm pretty sure you've all been dying to see what happens next with this story; so without further ado…let's continue our tale.

XXXX

CHAPTER 2: Beneath the Waves

XXXX

" _Lucy?" Her older sister asked, brow quirked in curiosity, "What is that in your hands?"_

" _It's a promise necklace Anna." Lucy beamed from the smooth stone she sat upon, her tail lightly kicking up small dustings of sand as she absentmindedly flicked it._

" _A promise necklace? Surely you jest little sister." Anna said with an incredulous smile. Where in all the sea had she gotten an idea to make one of those?_

" _Nuh-uh!" Lucy beamed as she held up the nearly finished trinket for her sister to see._

" _See, I'm almost done with it!"_

" _Lucy, you're too young to be making that necklace just yet." Anna frowned as she settled next to her little sister, "You must give that to someone special."_

" _But I have found someone special Anna; I have!" Lucy said giddily._

" _W-What?" Anna asked, eyes wide in both shock and horror. She had already found someone to be bonded too!? At her age!?_

 _Lucy nodded her head excitedly, "Uh-huh! He's my bestest, best friend!"_

 _Ignoring her older sister's current shock, Lucy held her necklace up so that the sunlight caught the blue and green crystal shards she had attached to it._

" _Mama said that these necklaces are given by girls to boys who they want to be best friends forever with. Mama gave one to papa, so I want to give one to my friend."_

 _Lucy smiled innocently at Anna and the older girl had to double blink in order to bring herself back to her senses. She wanted to chastise her sister; to tell her of the deeper meaning behind the necklace and the true promise it entailed. That what their mother told her hadn't exactly been the exact truth._

 _But seeing how excited Lucy was to have crafted something so special-to see the pure joy in her eyes-Anna bit her tongue and decided to humor her little sister._

" _Lucy," Anna said, choosing her words carefully, "this friend of yours…what is his name?"_

" _Natsu." Lucy beamed, looking at the necklace with a fond, imaginative smile._

" _His name is Natsu."_

And with a fluttering of her eyes, Lucy awoke from her slumber. The morning light shined past the tall vines of kelp that surrounded her and onto the soft sand and eelgrass that was her bedding.

With a soft groan, she rose from her bedding and stretched her arms and back; the hollow popping of her bones filling her ears. Lucy blinked once more to clear the sleep from her eyes before her tail came to life with a few quick kicks, allowing her to glide out of her bedding and into the morning light. Small fish of various sizes and colors swam past her while a loggerhead sea turtle idly passed overhead. Lucy reached her hand up and idly ran her fingers across its smooth under shell, smiling when the turtle gave her a quick, curious glance before continuing on its way.

Lucy waved to the others who too began to emerge from the kelp forests too, leaving their bedding for the day.

They were the merfolk, the people of the sea; Mermaids and Mermen, Sharkmen and Sharkwomen.

They were the descendants of the people of Fiore, the kingdom that had sank beneath the waves long, long ago. Here they lived lives much different from the humans who walked on the lands above or sailed across the open sea, never suspecting of the world that lay beneath them. And her people preferred it stayed that way.

Lucy smiled as she watched a sharkman, accompanied by his mate, hitched a ride on the back of a leatherback sea turtle…who in turn, had a young child clinging to his dorsal fin. The child had to be no more than two years of age and was most likely still learning how to swim. It was cute, Lucy mused, seeing the child occasionally kick its tail in an attempt to mimic its parents. Another year and maybe the little one would be swimming with all the speed and finesse of a dolphin.

Lucy let out an airy sigh and did a slow barrel roll in the water as she saw more and more of her people emerge from the kelp forest for the day and make their way down to the reef.

Contrary to the tales humans told (at least the ones that she knew of) merfolk and sharkfolk were not mortal enemies. They were all the descendants of Fiore and therefore, shared a common ancestry. Merfolk, or mermaids as they were commonly called, were more human in their appearances and could wield a vast array of magic's, being the descendants of mages and summoners. Sharkfolk were the descendants of hunters and warriors; men and women who had pledged their lives to battle and the thrill of the hunt. When Fiore had disappeared into the waves, the Gods had given them the traits of the seas most feared apex predator; the shark. Hence their appearances.

Merfolk could usually be identified by their bright colored scales and fins along with their more human appearances which ranged from pale to tan skinned. They also-without exception-possessed gold, silver, or blue eyes. Sharkfolk had darker colored skin much like an actual shark and had natural bone like armor that ran down their spines and framed their hips and tails. Plus there was the added small dorsal fins on their backs and forearms. The canines in their mouths were more pronounced and no matter what, be they male or female, they all had the same piercing red eyes.

Lucy herself, being a mermaid, had a fit body built for speed and gliding through the water while also complimenting her curvaceous figure. Set between her middle ribs were three slits in her skin; her gills. Her scales, which seamlessly transitioned from skin to scale, ran from her hips to the end of her tail starting just below her navel while also being found on her forearms and down the length of her spine; the scales ranging from dark to light hues of pink and glimmered in the morning light. Her fingers were webbed and she had small fin-like membranes behind her ears. Her eyes were a brilliant shade of gold that almost matched her long and flowing blonde hair, which in turn held a simple, silver circlet with a sapphire at the center. Out of habit she wore a clamshell bikini top to cover her breasts for in case she ever needed to make a trip topside while having some appearance of modesty.

And last but not least, around her neck, she wore a promise necklace. She wore it, not because she was betrothed to any man or woman but for more as a keepsake if anything. It was the very same one she had made in her youth and the same one that she had held in her dream.

Lucy lightly touched the necklace and shook her head to clear her mind. That dream had been haunting her for the better part of a month now and she did not need it bothering her throughout the day.

Thinking about the stories that humans liked to tell, Lucy found herself staring off into the distance as she thought of the true enemies of the water people. Not the humans above or any sharkfolk but something far worse.

 _The Fallen._

The ones who had delved too deep into the abyss; those who abused the gift of magic; those who had become too absorbed into their predatory instincts.

The ones who had been banished from Fiore.

Lucy sighed, blowing out a stream of bubbles before she casted aside her errant thoughts. Her friends had called for her today and she would not keep them waiting. And so with a sharp dive, she descended further down the reef. To where the coral and sea life covered long forgotten structures and kept their world hidden from the humans on the surface…gods forbid they ever make it down this far into the depths.

"Lucy!" An excited voice called out, drawing her attention as a young, blue haired merman swam up to her.

"Good morning Happy." Lucy beamed as the boy swam excitedly around her, "You're up early today."

"Yeah, your sister and the Queen needed me to run some errands for them. They know how much I like to explore so they had me check out some of the shipwrecks over out on the plains."

"Find what they asked you for?" Lucy asked as she glided through a submerged building.

"Yep!" Happy grinned, "The Queen asked me to see if I could salvage any of those maps the humans like to use and your sister wanted me to make sure the sharks were keeping watch over the wrecks; she doesn't like it when people try to sneak into those ships without permission; especially humans. As a reward for doing a good job today, Anna gave me a really big salmon to have with my breakfast!"

"That's Anna for you." Lucy snickered. Anna had a heart of gold and looked out for all of her people; especially those closest to her. However, she sometimes thought her sister took her job way too seriously.

But then again, those wrecks had sunk down to their kingdom so they technically belonged to the water folk now. Humans had a nasty habit of plundering everything under the sun and the water folk weren't too keen on letting the humans take what was now theirs.

"What about you Lucy?" Happy asked, "I thought you were in trouble for sneaking out to the surface a couple nights ago?"

"Oh, believe me, Aquarius gave me a pretty good tongue lashing and both Mavis and Anna weren't so pleased either. But seeing as how the human didn't come after me, I was just reprimanded."

That had certainly been a close call indeed.

She had snuck out to that secluded beach up on the main island that she had always loved to visit to gaze at the stars. It had been quite some time since she had simply watched the constellations glimmer in the nighttime sky and she wanted to make the most out of some recent free time she had. She had swam ashore near sundown and had gotten comfortable on the sand.

She had been surprised, however, when she heard music playing from the cliff above. She had darted back into the water then-ready to make a getaway-but when no humans appeared, she had lingered and listened. The music was a random but soft melody that Lucy found herself entranced by it. She wasn't sure how much time had passed but when the music stopped, she noticed that the sun was just slipping past the horizon.

After some time, it was clear that whoever had played the music was gone and she had come back ashore. It wasn't long before the stars began to appear.

So she had lied there, watching the stars pop out one by one as darkness settled around her. But all the while, that melody still played in her head and eventually Lucy found herself humming aloud to it. She had nearly jumped out of her skin when the human had called out to her from the cliff. Panic set in and Lucy had immediately dove back into the water, using the darkness for cover but fearing she had been found.

Luckily, the human male who had come upon her had taken his time descending the neighboring slope and had given Lucy plenty of time to further slip beneath the water. Her enhanced eyesight had watched him the whole time and she was prepared to leap out of the water and drag him under if he ventured too close.

It was imperative that no one knew of her people's existence.

Still, as she watched the man, she found that there was something familiar about him that she couldn't place. He reminded her of someone she once knew but who that was, she couldn't be sure. Luck seemed to be on her side though as the man seemingly gave up his search and scratched his head in a manner as if to question whether or not he had been seeing things.

Upon taking his leave, Lucy had done the same and had returned home…to find a very irate Aquarius and Anna waiting for her.

Which brought her back to the here and now.

Happy and Lucy paused as they let a large ray glide past them before continuing on their way along the lower reef and amongst their fellow water folk.

"But today, Levy and some of the other girls wanted me to see something so they asked me to meet up with them."

"What for?" Happy asked.

Lucy shrugged, "I don't know. But knowing my friends whatever it is, it's bound to be interesting."

And so the two merfolk continued on their way across the vast expanse of the reef, greeting their fellow water folk and entertaining one another with tales of their latest grand adventures across the undersea kingdom. They then made their way into a shallow undersea canyon which in turn brought them to a low ridge that overlooked a set of ruins.

The ruins had been part of what had once been a church or temple given the remains of the columns and wall that still held large pieces of stained glass. It was a peaceful place, loved by all in the kingdom, and many a merfolk and sharkfolk visited the ruins to help find peace of mind or pray to the gods.

Today Lucy found a small cluster of her closest friends waiting for her; Levy and her mate Gajeel, Lisanna, Cana, Juvia and her promised one, Gray, and Bisca with her mate Alzack and daughter, Asuka.

"Lu-chan!" Levy whispered with a smile, the blue haired mermaid waving her friend over in excitement.

"There's our little troublemaker." Cana grinned in an equally hushed tone.

"Hello everyone," Lucy arched her brow, "what's going on?"

"Shhh!" Asuka hushed in excitement, "We have to be quiet Lucy."

"Dare I ask why?" Lucy said, lowering her voice as her friends gave her conspiratorial smiles.

"Look down into the ruins and you'll see." Lisanna said with an eyebrow wiggle.

Lucy looked to Happy who gave a confused shrug of her shoulders. Keeping low to the sand and stone, Lucy and Happy slowly edged up to the lip of the ridge and peered down into the ruins of the temple. Her eyes widened when she found a lone sharkwoman sitting on a collapsed column.

She had scarlet red hair, long and flowing, with skin nearly as pink as Lucy's scales and natural armor that was a dark burgundy in color. Lucy noted that instead of the armored chest piece she usually wore-indicating that she was a warrior-she had painted her skin with ceremonial tattoos. And in her hands, she nervously turned a promise necklace over in her hands.

"Erza!?" Lucy whispered as she glanced back down to the others.

"Mhmm." Levy hummed silently while Gajeel rolled his eyes as did Gray, who pinched his brow in mild annoyance.

The sharkmen seemed to be utterly bored out of their minds and Lucy had a sneaking suspicion that they had been dragged into this gathering against their will…or, rather, they had been _voluntold_ by their respective partners that they'd be joining the others.

"Why are we hiding from her?" Lucy asked, "Shouldn't we go down there to be with her? She seems upset."

"Not upset," Bisca shook her head, "she's merely nervous over what she's about to do."

"And that is?" Lucy asked.

"She's going to give that promise necklace to Jellal!" Levy grinned, which only widened as realization quickly dawned on Lucy.

"What!?" Lucy exclaimed, doing her best to keep her voice lowered while taking Levy's hands into hers.

"When did she make her decision? Does Jellal know? Why didn't you tell me this sooner?!"

"It was only a few days ago that she confided in Mira that she was ready to pledge herself to Jellal." Lisanna said, referring to her elder sister, Mirajane.

"And you know Mira, she immediately told us and we wanted to surprise the two of them. Jellal and Erza have been pinning for each other for as long as we've known them so we figured it's about time they finally became bonded."

"As for Jellal, he has no clue. Erza told him to meet her here today to discuss something 'important' as she put it. The man is in for the shock of his life." Gray added with a wry smile as he let Juvia lean back against him.

"And as for not telling you," Cana smirked, resting her chin in her palm, "we wanted to see the look on your face."

"Cana, knock it off," Lisanna chided lightly, "You and I both know that Lucy has been busy with her duties lately and hasn't had much time to spend with us. Having her meet us here was the only way we'd get to meet up with her."

"Sorry about that by the way," Lucy rubbed the back of her head, "but you know the queen. Mavis has been running me ragged lately."

"Whatever the reason, we're glad you were able to make it. You too Happy." Juvia said, earning an elated nod from the young merman.

"Surprising Jellal and Erza is going to be so much fun!" Happy grinned.

"I can't wait to see the look on their faces." Levy tittered before wincing slightly, hands moving to soothe her stomach as she leaned back into Gajeel's awaiting arms.

"You alright?" Gajeel asked, his hands moving to Levy's swollen belly.

"Yeah…it's just the babies. They're moving again." Levy smiled gently as she guided her mate's hands to follow the movements of their unborn children.

Lucy smiled softly at the display between the two. She was honestly surprised that Levy had made it all the way out her. She was seven months pregnant with twins and had been advised by Queen Mavis's personal doctor, Porlyusica, to limit her movements lest she put stress on her babies.

But it wouldn't be much longer now. Soon enough they'd be welcoming Shutora and Yaje into the vast depths of the sea.

It was heartwarming seeing her best friend so happy with the one she loved; seeing her nurture and love two new lives. It made Lucy absentmindedly touch her own promise necklace, wondering if one day she'd too be able to find someone special of her own.

But then again, she thought she had once…but that had been a long time ago. It was a painful memory and the pain stung further at the thought of her dream; the naïve innocence and dreams she had once held as a child.

"Is something wrong?" Lisanna asked, placing her hand on Lucy's shoulder.

Lucy shook away her errant thoughts and gave a Lisanna's hand a squeeze in return.

"I'm fine, don't worry. You know, I was half expecting Mira to be here. She and Erza have been thick as thieves since they were no more than guppies."

"Oh, she wouldn't miss this for the world. Jellal won't be here for a bit so she still has time on her side. But knowing my sister, I think she's gone off to find a certain someone."

"Let me guess," Lucy rolled her eyes good naturedly, "she's dragging Laxus into this, isn't she?"

XXXX

 _ **Elsewhere on the reef…**_

The ebb and flow of the water was something he hadn't gotten used to…at least not yet.

There was an energy to it, the water, that made him feel as if it had a life all its own. Not because that a whole other world, teeming with life, lived beneath the surface but because he could feel pulse to the water. The water gave him his magic, gave him his life and in turn, he could sense the underwater world in a clarity that he had never experienced when he had lived back on land.

He often looked back on his life before he had become a part of the sea and often thought of his grandfather and the friends had left behind back home. He missed them, terribly so, and he wondered if he would ever get the chance to see them if only for one last time.

With a sigh, Laxus Dreyar rested his chin atop his fist and looked down from his perch up on the reef onto a group of children while they swam and played with one another. Nearby and overhead, a cluster of reef sharks kept watch over the children, keeping them safe from any unwanted guests or predators that were far too bold to know their place.

Laxus was lean and fit, no different from many of the mermen he now resembled, but had distinctive tattoos on his upper body along with a lightning bolt scar over his right eye, thus making him unique. His golden blonde hair was cut short and almost matched the gold, bronze, and white scales that covered his tail and body in certain places. And like many others of his kind, he too wore an iconic promise necklace, handmade by the very woman who had saved him from a watery grave years ago.

Laxus took a crystal on his necklace between his thumb and forefinger and gently rubbed it between them.

 _Mirajane_ , Laxus thought with a soft smile.

It was hard to believe that it had been seven years now since that fateful day…the day his world forever changed.

It had been weeks after he had been taken from his home in Magnolia by his father, who had become a deranged lunatic since he had last seen him. Ivan Dreyar had it in his head that by kidnapping Laxus, he'd be able to mold him into a ruthless killer and pirate; that he'd be able to make Laxus his successor and regain some semblance of the family he had lost.

But Laxus had resisted, had lashed out and cursed his father for taking him from the people that truly loved and cared for him. These outbursts had incurred the wrath of Ivan…which were promptly followed by beatings and being left tied to the mast of the ship to wither under the heat of the day and freeze during the night.

His only comfort had been the other prisoner Ivan kept aboard his ship; a girl named Flare. She had been taken from her home in Caelum and been made into the crews personal slave. Unlike Laxus, however, Flare had been imprisoned aboard the ship for the better part of a year.

Flare was a quirky girl but she had a good heart and would often care for Laxus when none of the crew were around. And when the crew casted their ire at Flare, Laxus would step in and take the blows meant for her. Needless to say, they had grown close during those long weeks Laxus had spent aboard Ivan's ship.

Eventually, Ivan's crimes finally caught up with him. The navies of Caelum and Ishgar had managed to route Ivan and the remainder of his pirate fleet and a one sided battle ensued. In the chaos that had ripped Ivan's pirates to pieces, Laxus and Flare had made their escape; planning to jump ship and swim to the safety of the opposing navies. But before they had so much as crossed the upper deck, Ivan-bloodied and crazed-had spotted them.

" _Traitors! You ungrateful bastard and you little whore!"_ Laxus winced at the memory of his father's words.

He had leveled his pistol at Flare and before Laxus could react, Ivan had shot her in the abdomen. He then ran up to his son and ran him through with his cutlass. The pain was indescribable and Laxus couldn't help the scream that burst from his lips; he'd never be able to forget the taste of copper that filled his mouth.

Clinging to Flare as she held onto him, the two had stumbled over to the gunwale; bleeding and fearing what was to be the last minutes of their lives.

But then fate intervened in a rather bombastic fashion.

In a strange twist, it had been an armor piercing shell from a Caelum frigate that had made Ivan disappear in cloud of red mist and saved them from a grizzly demise. Ironically, that very same shot had blasted its way through both the upper and lower decks and had hit something vital deep within the ship.

Half a second later, Ivan's ship was blown in apart in a ball of fire.

Laxus could remember being tossed into the air, still holding onto Flare as they both screamed while they came crashing down into the water. They began to sink quickly, their wounds from Ivan and the ships destruction hampering them from swimming to the surface.

And then all had gone dark.

When he awoken, he found himself underwater and laying on a bed of surprisingly comfortable sand and kelp. But more importantly, he found himself staring into the bluest eyes of the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his entire life.

Long, snowy white hair; a smile filled with warmth and care; and a touch that made him calm in an instant.

" _Relax…take a deep breath, you're safe now."_ She had said.

She had introduced herself as Mirajane and that she was the one who had rescued him and Flare from drowning. When he finally found his voice, Laxus immediately took noticed of the fact that A) he could both breathe and talk underwater, and B) his legs had been replaced by a tail along with other changes to his body.

He noted his appearance had mirrored that of Mirajane's…which in turn prompted Laxus to naturally, freak out. After a solid ten minutes of panic, Mira had finally managed to calm Laxus down…by smacking him upside the head with a conch shell. Mira had explained that she had been watching the battle from below with her siblings and had seen them tossed into the water and upon seeing them losing blood, had quickly swept in with her brother to grab them before they could drown.

Mira had casted a magic spell that allowed them to breathe underwater and she had taken Laxus and Flare with her back home. It had taken some convincing to Queen Mavis that Laxus and Flare had been worth saving, but the Queen relented and had used her magic to allow Laxus and Flare to be reborn as merfolk.

It had taken a period of adjusting to the idea that magic and mermaids existed, and the fact that he was now a merman. But more so, it had been a blow to know that he couldn't let his grandfather know he was alive.

He had been bitter about the change and so had Flare to some extent, but the girl quickly relished in the new life she had been given. But through it all, Mira had stood by his side, making sure he was acclimating to his new life and teaching him the ways of her people.

Slowly, he became adept at using his tail and becoming a part of the sea. Slowly, he made new friends who welcomed him with open arms.

Slowly…he and Mira grew closer and closer. Soon enough, they were in love.

And on the eve of his twenty first birthday, Mira had given him a promise necklace, asking him to become bonded with her; to become her mate.

He had accepted without hesitation. Looking back on all that had happened, Laxus knew he'd go through it all again in a heartbeat. Mira was everything to him and the sea had become too ingrained into him to ever consider going back to the land above.

So why come out all this way to watch over the guppies as they played? Why ruminate on the past and think of his grandfather and the world above?

"Laxus," A familiar voice said, snapping him out of his stupor, "there you are. I've been looking for you."

One of the reef sharks broke off from its group to inspect the new arrival but Mirajane just smiled pleasantly at the predator. After a cursory pass, Mira gently brushed her hand along the shark's side before giving it a quick tap on the snout.

"Relax, you know me. I'm not threat to you or the little ones." Mira chided lightly.

Mira was slender and fit with long, snowy white hair and eyes that rivaled the blue of the ocean itself. Sharing the traits of the other merfolk, Mira was easily recognized by her white, blue, and purple colored scales. However, it was her magic that distinguished her amongst the other merfolk. Her magic, when called upon, allowed her to turn into a sharkwoman. Her ferocity when transformed had become legendary and Laxus had even heard parents warn their children that if they misbehaved, they'd have to answer to Mira.

The reef shark gave no acknowledgement to Mira's words as it swam off to rejoin the pack, its threat assessment complete. Despite Mira's words, Laxus had a sneaking suspicion that the shark knew that Mira could be a far more fearsome predator than it ever could be.

"Sorry to worry you." Laxus said as he swam up to Mira, pulling her close and melding her lips to his.

"I just needed to do some thinking, that's all."

"You've been doing that a lot lately, haven't you?" Mira hummed softly as she ran her fingers through her mate's hair.

"Can you blame me?" Laxus smirked as he pulled back before lowering himself down to press a series of light kisses to Mira's belly, making her giggle.

"After all, having a baby makes you take stock of things."

Why had Laxus been reflecting on the past? Because two weeks ago Mira had told him that she was pregnant. Knowing that, Laxus had wished more than anything that he could tell his grandfather the news. He began to imagine his and Mira's child playing with the other guppies amongst the safety of the sharks; the stories he would tell, the adventures they'd go on as a family.

"I had no idea you could be so sentimental," Mira smiled, "it's nice not seeing you be macho and serious all the time."

"Hey, I can be a nice guy. Not my fault people think I'm scary." Laxus frowned as he rose once again and received a light tap to the nose.

"Don't be like that, you know people care for and respect you. You just need to lighten up every now and then." Mira said, taking Laxus's hand and gently pulling him along.

"Maybe it's something we can work on together while we wait for the baby to be born." Mira teased.

"Though it'll be nice to give Levy and Gajeel's babies a playmate when ours comes along."

Laxus smiled softly at Mira's chipper attitude. Mira always seemed to have smile on her face. No matter when things got bleak or when she was put under great stress, she always seemed to find the bright side of things and keep a smile up for others. It was one of her qualities that he admired most about her.

"We'll worry about that all in good time…but for now, what're you dragging me off to?" Laxus arched his brow.

"Erza is going to give a promise necklace to Jellal and we're going to be there when she does." Mira said with a giddy smile.

"You sure that's wise? You and I are strong as far as merfolk go, but I doubt we'd survive and embarrassed Erza." Laxus said wryly.

"Oh yee of little faith. If anything, Erza will be too overwhelmed with joy when Jellal accepts her proposal."

"You think Jellal will accept the necklace?" Laxus asked.

"He's your best friend, you tell me." Mira said with a knowing smirk.

"Heh…" Laxus shook his head, "I don't even know why I asked. But I have to wonder who'll faint first; Erza or Jellal?"

"Only one way to find out." Mira replied and together, she and Laxus swam off to the meeting point where the others were waiting. It wasn't long before they came upon the small grouping of water folk, who silently urged them over.

"There you are." Lisanna whispered as she hugged her sister, "We were beginning to worry that you weren't going to make it."

"I'd rather so much as spend a day in the rift before I missed something as big as this." Mira replied.

"You're just in time too…" Happy said as he finished conversing with a passing fish, "this little guy said he spotted Jellal entering the canyon from the other side. He'll be here soon."

"Places everyone, places!" Levy tittered in excitement as she carefully crept to the lip of the ridge.

Laxus shook his head with a smile and let Mira guide him along as he lay flat on the sand, doing his best to peer down at Erza without gaining her attention. Luckily for them, the sharkwoman seemed too distracted with her thoughts to even take notice of her surroundings.

Happy hadn't been wrong about the time of Jellal's arrival. It had been minutes after the grouping of water folk had settled in when the blue haired merman arrive to the ruins.

Jellal was muscular and lean with a frame built for speed and power in the water. His eyes glowed a piercing silver and helped highlight the crimson red tattoo he had set above and below his right eye. His scales ranged from indigo, sky blue, and royal blue making him blend in with open water half the time. He smiled upon spotting Erza and made his way over to her.

"Erza," he said, drawing the sharkwoman's attention, "sorry to keep you waiting. Have you been here long?"

"N-No…it's fine." Erza said, returning Jellal's smile as she swam up to him, "I needed the time."

Jellal reached his hand up cup Erza's cheek and she all too gladly held it in place with her own.

"Is everything alright?" Jellal asked, cocking his head slightly, "We only ever come here when you want to meet in private and…"

Jellal's words died off when he took notice of the tattoo's Erza had painted onto her skin; how she lacked her armor; and how she kept her other arm tucked behind her back.

"Erza, what's going on? I can sense that you are uneasy and that's really starting to worry me."

Erza bit her lip for the briefest of moments before taking a calming breath. She then guided Jellal's hand from her cheek and to her heart, which had begun to beat rapidly in apprehension.

"Jellal…" Erza spoke, "there's something I need to ask you. Something that I've wanted to ask you for the longest time."

It was then that Erza held up her free hand to reveal the Promise Necklace she held. Jellal's eyes locked onto the familiar sea shells and crystals that hung from the necklace and it was a solid ten seconds before he began to comprehend what Erza was doing.

"Erza…" Jellal whispered, his eyes widening while his heart hitched in his chest.

"Jellal…before I met you, I was lost. Both to the evils of The Fallen and the darkness of the rift. I had no sense of purpose, no sense of life. But then, one day, you found me and everything changed. You pulled me from the darkness and showed me the light and the beauty of the world above and below the waves. You helped me find myself, were always at my side, and never once doubted me even at my worst.

I fell in love with you and when you told me you felt the same, I nearly died from joy. When we made love for the first time, I felt that I could finally become whole with you and you alone. But a part of me feels incomplete…like I'm missing a part of myself that is so close yet so far.

And that missing piece is you…Jellal. You've become a part of me and I can't ever imagine us being apart.

And so I ask you Jellal…will you help me remain whole? Will you promise yourself to me and no one else? Will you be mine from now till the day the gods calls us back from the sea? Jellal…will you be my mate?"

Erza smiled a soft, nervous smile as Jellal looked from her, to the necklace, and back again. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water and his cheeks began to match the color of her hair. When he didn't initially respond to Erza's proposal, her smile began to falter and a sense of dread overcame her. Had she asked him for too much? Had she said something wrong? Did Jellal not want to be with her, even after all they had been through?

She was ready to apologize to Jellal; she was ready to swim off and hide in her home and wallow in grief. But then, with shaking hands, Jellal took the necklace and slowly looped it over his head and let it settle onto his neck. His hands reached up to hold Erza's head, his fingers gliding into her hair as he claimed her lips with his. Erza let out a muffled gasp in response but quickly wrapped her arms around Jellal, pulling him close.

When they parted, Jellal rested his forehead against hers, their eyes half lidded eyes meeting one another.

"Yes…" Jellal whispered before his smile began to broaden, "yes. I'll say yes as many times as you want me too."

Erza felt a shudder of relief run down her spine and she knew that if she was above the water, tears would be streaming from her eyes.

"Please…I need to hear you say it." Erza said, her voice trembling in relief, barely able to contain the pure elation she felt.

Jellal smiled and took Erza's hand so it rested against his necklace while mimicking the motion with his.

"Erza. I promise myself-heart and soul-to you and no one else. I promise to stand by you through thick and thin. I promise to love you both in life and in death. Erza, I will be your mate from this day till the end of days."

With those words, the crystals on their necklaces began to glow, signifying that the bond between the two promised ones had been completed. They were now bound to one another as mates and ready to wed.

And it was with that that their secret observers sprang from their hiding spot with cries of joy and nearly startled the two mates half to death.

"Mira!? Lucy!? Levy!? Everyone!?" Erza blurted out as an embarrassed blush formed on her cheeks.

"What…what are you doing here!?"

"Surprise!" The merfolk and sharkfolk beamed at Jellal and Erza, "Congratulations!"

"Wha-What!?" Erza said as the water began to literally boil around her from the heat of her embarrassment. Erza buried her face into Jellal's shoulder, her mate pulling her close as sheepish grin formed on his lips while he rubbed the back of his neck.

The two found themselves surrounded by their friends as Mira pulled Erza close into a tight embrace, wishing her best friend all the best in the sea, while the men clasped forearms with Jellal and slapped him on the back.

After giving Erza hug of her own and peck on the forehead, Lucy drifted back as she watched the scene before her; her heart swelling at the scene of friendship and love shared between the lifelong friends. It was perfect.

That was only way to truly describe the moment and Lucy was grateful that they all were able share it.

Happy swam up to her and without saying a word, pointed up towards the surface. Her brow quirking, Lucy glanced up and paused at the sight of a mermaid watching them from above. It took her a moment to realize who it was.

It was her older sister…Anna.

Anna was a few years older than Lucy but the two could pass as twins, the resemblance between them being so striking. And indeed, like Lucy, Ana was a beauty amongst the mermaids of Fiore. Her long and flowing blonde hair was tied back into a pony tail and her silver and pink scales gleamed against her pale skin. Unlike Lucy, Anna chose to forgo any coverings for her well-endowed breasts; a trait shared by many of the women of Fiore. Her silver eyes, so much different from Lucy's, stared intently but softly down at her younger sister. Completing her appearance was a silver circlet, much like Lucy's, set upon her head but sporting a gleaming ruby instead of a sapphire.

She beckoned her sister to her and it was then that the others had taken notice of the new arrival to their gathering. They all bowed their heads in respect to the Queen's advisor and Lucy gave Levy an apologetic smile and shrug of her shoulders.

"Duty calls." Lucy said as she began to ascend towards Anna.

"I'll see you later." Levy mouthed with a smile.

Lucy nodded and soon enough had taken her sisters hand into hers, giving it a light squeeze.

"Sister," Lucy smiled, "what brings you out from the palace?"

She already knew the answer…but she knew better than to speak for her sister.

"Lucy," Anna hummed as she gently tucked an errant strand of hair behind Lucy's ear, "the queen requests your presence. She wishes to speak with you."

"Of course." Lucy bowed her head and together, the two siblings set off for the deeper areas of the reef; where the ancient city of Crocus lay.

"How did you find me?" Lucy asked as they entered a lit, underwater tunnel carved out of the reef. The tunnel walls glowed shades of pink, green, and blue from both crystal and coral.

"Aries spoke of Erza wanting to ask Jellal to become her mate. I knew you and your friends would want to be there for Erza when she popped the question to Jellal so all I had to really do was figure out where the two of them had gone for the day."

Anna looked over her shoulder to Lucy and smirked.

"I take it we can expect to receive invitations to the wedding?" Anna asked.

"Yes…I'm really happy for them. That they were able to find one another and reach this point in their lives." Lucy smiled.

"As am I." Anna said with a curt nod.

"Tell me, my dear sister, have you yourself found anyone worthy of becoming your mate?"

"…No." Lucy said after a pause, not wanting to tell her sister about her dream; her memory. It was an old wound for the both of them and Lucy didn't wish to upset her sister.

"I haven't really given anyone much thought. To be honest, no one has caught my eye. Why?"

Anna frowned but did not say anything. Lucy had a sneaking suspicion that she had been told to ask her the question and she had a pretty good idea as to who had put her up to it.

The two continued their journey in silence, navigating their way through the tunnels that honeycombed the reef and passed merfolk and sharkfolk going about their day. Eventually, they exited the reef to a find the remains of underwater city sprawled out before them. This was the deepest part of the reef, far from the prying eyes of humans and right before the rock and sand of the continental shelf dropped off into the depths.

This was the city of Crocus, the once and still beating heart of Fiore. Even after the sea had claimed the once mighty land, the vacant buildings and temples still played host and home to the water folk. This was the center of the water folk world and others would travel from miles, fathoms, and depths around to participate in the markets and trade that still bloomed in underwater streets.

Anna and Lucy chose to swim above the city and made their way to edge, right where an underwater mountain loomed over the sheer drop of the continental shelf. There lay a still mighty acropolis, watching over the city and facing the vast expanse of the ocean beyond, a beacon for the all the water folk to rally to no matter where in the city or reef they were.

And it was here that the queen of the water folk called home.

Anna and Lucy were well known at the acropolis. Anna was the queen's advisor and Lucy was one of the queen's elite guards. Ordinarily Lucy would find herself with Erza, Jellal, and Gajeel standing watch with the other elite guards but as a reward for all of their diligence and hard work, they had been granted a reprieve. Until today of course.

Lucy wondered what Mavis wanted her for this time. Was she still in trouble for sneaking ashore the other night or was there a more pressing mater to attend to? Knowing Mavis it could be anything.

The sisters swam up the steps and passed by the awaiting warriors who stood guard before being allowed to enter the very back of the former temple.

There, siting a top a grand throne, was the queen of the water folk; Mavis Vermillion.

Mavis had the appearance of a young girl, with long, wavy blonde hair and silver eyes that possessed both experience and mischief. Truth be told, Mavis was in actuality over four hundred years old, possibly even older. She was the oldest mermaid that anyone knew of and yet, she had not changed one iota over the years.

Pink and red scales were set against alabaster skin and set atop her head was a tiara made of gold while two necklaces of silver and pearls adorned her neck. The necklaces nearly hid the black and blue tattoo set at the center of her chest; a dolphin and shark forming a Yin and Yang.

It was her mark of rule, the symbol that signified her as queen.

And lastly, tied around her right wrist was her promise necklace, an odd place for it to be Lucy had noted more than once.

In the same hand she held an ancient weapon and the true symbol of her rule; a trident, imbued with ancient, powerful magic. Rumor had it that the trident had actually been reforged from the sword and armor worn by Draco when he had fallen from the stars.

But then again, who better than to confirm the rumor than those who had actually known the dragon. For surrounding Mavis were her ever present guardians and confidants; the Twelve Celestial Spirits. They varied in appearance, from shark to merfolk, but there was no denying who or what these spirits were.

They were the same spirits who had been born from the constellations on high and had been worshiped as living gods long ago by the humans who gave them their names.

Now, they stood in defense of Mavis and the water folk.

They all turned from where they had been gazing out into the ocean with Mavis to address the new arrivals.

"Lucy," Mavis smiled and beckoned the two closer, "thank you for coming on such short notice. Anna, thank you for finding your sister for me."

"The honor is ours." Lucy and Anna said in unison as they bowed to their queen.

"About time you showed up." Aquarius, a blue scaled beauty wielding a spear and shield, said in a rather annoyed tone.

"Any later and we would start to think you'd gotten lost. Wouldn't be the first time your antics got you into trouble little miss airhead."

"Now, now Aquarius," her mate, Scorpio said as wrapped an arm around her, "no need for that. I know Lucy's recent adventure got everyone into a tizzy but she's learned her lesson…right?"

Lucy puffed out her cheeks slightly but nodded none the less, "Yes sir."

"Besides, it'd be a crime for a beauty such as yourself to fall into the hands of those crazy humans." Loke grinned in a Cheshire like manner, befitting his appearance to a tiger shark.

"Heel boy," Lucy teased, "I thought you only sparred such words for Aries?"

"Oh I do," Loke smirked as he gently pulled his aforementioned girlfriend closer, "but can't a man offer a lady a compliment every now and then."

"Only if they're not an unrepentant flirt, yes." Anna said dryly, crossing her arms.

"That's enough everyone, settle down." Mavis chided lightly, her command instantly bringing the others to silence.

"Now, if you would be so kind, please leave Lucy and me to converse in private. Anna, please stay as well."

The spirits silently obeyed the queen's command and made their way to the very back of the temple where the three mermaids would be far, far out of earshot.

"Am I in trouble, my queen?" Lucy asked when she looked back to Mavis.

Mavis shook her head with an amused smile and descended from her throne, the long fins of her tail trailing behind her.

"Not unless you have taken any further adventures to the surface." Mavis teased at Lucy's embarrassed blush, "And please Lucy, we've discussed this, you do not have to be so formal with me. Please, for the last time, unless we are in public you may address me as Mavis."

"Sorry…" Lucy rubbed her arm, "force of habit. If I'm not in trouble, then why am I here?"

Mavis continued to smile but nodded to Anna before they ventured over to the area before Mavis's throne; the space dominated by a large pool of silver liquid that was seemingly unaffected by the sea water around it. The pool had once been a reflecting pool but that had been when the acropolis still resided above the waves. How the silver liquid came to be, no one really knew save for Mavis and Mavis alone. What was known was that the liquid possessed great magical properties.

Lucy had once thought that the pool contained liquid mercury, given its appearance to the toxic metal. But having seen the many wonders that the pool had granted, Lucy now was never sure what to make of it.

Mavis dipped the tips of her trident into the liquid and the substance rippled as it became imbued with the magic of the artifact. Then, Mavis reached her hand into the liquid, and no matter how many times she saw it, Lucy stared in awe as the liquid came to life and wrapped itself around Mavis's hand and forearm like the tentacles of a curious octopus.

But Mavis removed her hand with ease and produced a small tiara much like one Mavis wore. However, unlike Mavis's, this one was made from the very same crystals that were found on the promise necklaces. Mavis gave the tiara to Anna, who in turn went to Lucy. Without so much as a word, Anna removed Lucy's circlet and placed the tiara atop her sister's head before giving her forehead a light kiss.

"I am so proud of you." Anna said, placing her hands on Lucy's shoulders.

"Uhm…what just happened?" Lucy asked, thoroughly perplexed.

"My decision." Mavis said, as she swam over to Lucy before tapping her chest with the tip of her trident. Lucy gasped as she felt a sudden energy fill her; a warmth that ran from head to tail. The heat seemed concentrated in her chest and when she looked down, Lucy saw a tattoo appear on her skin, seemingly from within herself. And then, just as quickly, the feeling subsided. Unblinking, Lucy looked from her tattoo and then to Mavis, mouth agape in shock.

She knew that tattoo…it was the same that graced Mavis's skin.

"What…?" Lucy finally managed to croak out.

"Lucy," Mavis said, her tone calming and gentle, "I have known you from when you were no more than a growing bump in your mother's womb. I've watched you grow from a playful little guppy and into a strong, spirited warrior. Your compassion for other knows no bounds and your will is stronger than any ironclad human ship. You have been my faithful protector and friend since you first came to be a member of the guard…and for all of these reasons, I have chosen to make you my successor to the throne."

"…What…I…I…WHAT!?" Lucy almost screeched had it not been for Anna pulling her into an excited embrace.

"I understand that this is quite the bombshell but it's the truth." Mavis said as Lucy scrambled to regain her bearings.

"When the time comes, you will become the queen of our people Lucy. I will pass the torch of responsibility unto you. Granted, this will not happen right away, more like a few years from now, but you will be a worthy successor to the throne all the same."

"I…I don't understand." Lucy finally managed to ask, "Why me? Why not someone else?"

"I already told you Lucy." Mavis said as she moved to lean against one of the nearby columns, looking out to the sea beyond.

"There has to be more to it than that." Lucy pressed, "There has to be more than just me having a heart of gold or some form of friendship."

"Lucy," Anna said, "are you turning down the queen's gift to you?"

Anna's expression bordered between offense and shock, making Lucy bite her lip while her hands came to rest upon her newly received tattoo.

"Yes…no…I don't know! This is all so sudden and…and…I'm not worthy."

"Nor was I when the time came. It's alright Lucy…this will take some getting used to…but you are correct, there is more to it than what I just said. I am old Lucy. So old in fact that I hardly even remember when I used to walk on the land above. I was given a power and a responsibility I was too young to understand and one that I am too old to longer bare. My time has long since passed Lucy and it's time I handed the reigns to someone else. Someone I know I can trust the future of our people to. And that someone is you.

I've already talked to the spirits about it and they support my decision. But then again, when I brought up the subject of who to replace me to Anna, she immediately nominated you without hesitation."

Lucy looked to her sister who smiled back at her with a nod.

"Lucy…you have heart that is bigger than his ocean we call home. You are so dedicated to your friends and to others and you've shown the strength and willpower to oppose the Fallen…everyone rallies to you and knows that you can be counted upon no matter what. I couldn't think of anyone else better to lead our people."

"Anna…" Lucy whispered as she felt Mavis place a hand on her shoulder.

"Mother and father would be so proud of you." Anna continued, her voice trembling, "I only wish that they could see you now."

"Your parents would have wanted this for you Lucy." Mavis said.

"They always told me you were destined for great things…and this is one of them. As I said, you still have time before I relinquish the throne to you, but I know when the time comes you will be more than ready."

Lucy was quiet for several heartbeats as she wrung her hands together before pausing. Then, with a glimmer in her eyes, Lucy smiled.

"This is going to get some getting used to…but…I promise you Mavis, I will not fail you nor our people. I accept your decision."

Mavis smiled and bowed her head, "I ask nothing less."

Mavis then removed Lucy's tiara and returned it back to the silver pool and let Anna return Lucy's circlet back to her head.

"When the time comes, your crown will be returned to you. But until that day comes, you are still a part of my guard and I expect you to continue your duties as you have unless told otherwise. My ass is still on the line you know." Mavis smirked, making Lucy and Anna snicker.

"And just because you're my heir doesn't mean you can go lollygagging off with your friends willy-nilly or slack off on duty. I don't want to have to call upon megalodon in order to scare you straight. Same goes for you too Anna."

"Understood." Lucy said nervously while Anna swallowed hard.

"Good." Mavis smiled brightly, before giving Lucy a leering glance.

"Now…speaking of succession to the throne, is there anyone you have in mind of making your king?"

Lucy let out a surprised squeak before waving her hands frantically in dismissal.

"No! I'm not interested in anyone at the moment! I already told Anna this on our way in!"

Mavis pouted before giving a shrug, "Oh well, can't be helped I guess. Sorry but I had to ask…even if it meant via your sister."

"So it was you!" Lucy pointed her finger at her queen accusingly.

"You know what they say: every princess has her knight, every queen has her king." Mavis quipped.

"Oh yeah, then where's your king?" Lucy asked, putting her hands on her hips.

Mavis's smiled faded, for the briefest of moments, before an air and look of melancholy overcame her. It quickly became clear that she hadn't been expecting or prepared for Lucy's question and the mermaid knew she had said something wrong. Anna bit her lip and casted Lucy a nervous glance.

"I had someone special once." Mavis said with a sad smile, "I met him when he was young and watched him grow into the man I fell in love with…but then again, I suppose I always did love him. We made our promise, we planned to wed, and I found myself thinking of the life we'd live together; the children we'd have and all the good we'd accomplish for our people. But then he was taken from me…and I have loved no other since."

Although she tried to hide it, the heartbreak in Mavis's eyes was clear and Lucy felt a pang of regret for speaking out turn like she had.

"Mavis…I…"

"The two of you have the rest of the day to yourselves." Mavis said, turning her back to the sisters.

"Enjoy your free time."

The dismissal was clear and Mavis's tone left no room for argument. She wanted to be alone.

"I'm sorry." Lucy whispered as she and Anna took their leave. It was only when they left the acropolis did Anna take Lucy's hand and smile a sad smile.

"Come on…let's go home. Don't worry about Mavis, she'll be alright. Let's see if we can go find the others and celebrate your new gift."

Lucy smiled halfheartedly at Anna but try as she might, she couldn't forget the look of absolute heartbreak she'd seen in her queen's eyes.

She could relate, after all. Although not realizing at the time, she had been in love once with someone she had cared for more than anything else in the sea. Someone who she could talk to anything about; someone who enjoyed tracing the stars with her; someone who was the first and so far only one, she had fallen for. But then they had been torn apart, so suddenly that just thinking about that day made her heart ache. She never saw him again after that day…and as the years passed she came to the conclusion that he had forgotten her.

He had broken his promise to her…and that had hurt more than anything else.

"Yeah, that sounds like fun." Lucy said, putting on a brave face for her sister.

The day had started off good and she didn't want her mood to put a damper on her friends bonding or her quasi coronation. With any luck, hopefully nothing else would happen today.

XXXX

 _ **Near the outer islands of the Tenrou Island chain…**_

For Wendy, the sea was an endless playground, rife with plenty of things to see, places to go, and new experiences to be had.

The young mermaid especially loved exploring the islands that dotted the surface as many of them had hidden caves and natural tunnels that the humans were unaware of. Occasionally a friendly octopus or a curious ray or small shark would follow her but for the most part, Wendy loved spending her time with her friends: Romeo and Chelia.

Together, the two mermaids and young sharkman had spent many a day searching the reef and the islands for forgotten treasures or and new areas yet discovered. They were inseparable and today was no different.

Wendy herself had long, violet colored hair and soft, silver eyes…that had just the faintest ring of red around the outside of her irises. Her scales and fins were white, purple, and dark shades of blue, making her resemble a koi fish in terms of coloration and appearance. And yet, her canines were more pronounced, seemingly befitting that of a sharkwoman thus indicating her parentage. Her mother had said she was unique, as it was rare of the traits of both mermaid and shark to blend together.

Currently, Wendy was gliding along the current that wove its way between a small cluster of islands, letting it pull her along so that she may quickly reach her two other companions. After a few short zig zags and turns, Wendy gave a powerful kick of her tail and dove further down into the water. This was where the sandy bottom began to meet the coral that formed the reef; the very edges of water folk territory.

Chelia had said that she had found a small lagoon near one of the islands and wanted to take a look at it. Wendy and Romeo were all too happy to join. After a few minutes of navigating some clusters of coral, Wendy waved in greeting to her companions as they spotted her.

"There you are," Romeo greeted with a smile, "we were beginning to get worried about you."

"Sorry, I had to sneak away from my brothers again. They don't like it when I sneak out." Wendy said with a rub of her arm.

"Sheesh, when are Gajeel and Rogue going to stop treating you like your some helpless guppy?" Chelia sighed as she gave Wendy a quick hug.

"I know how you feel," Wendy replied, "but at the same time, they're my brothers; they mean well."

Romeo had black hair, grey and blue skin, and black bone armor. He was a hunter in training and it wouldn't be long now before he joined the ranks of the other sharkmen and women. Chelia had vibrant red hair, blue eyes, and scale coloring similar to Wendy's; hers being white, red, and purple. With how close and similar the two girls were, people often jokingly referred to them as the "Koi Fish Sisters".

Wendy felt a gentle nudge at her back and let out a small gasp at the tiger shark that had drifted up to her.

"Sorry." Romeo apologized as he swam over to the shark to run his hand up and down its side.

"He's been following me around lately and for the life of me, I can't get rid of him."

"I don't mind." Wendy smiled as she gently rested her forehead against the shark's snout in greeting.

"Just give me a heads up next time, alright?"

The shark's only response was to brush up against her and disappear into the surrounding sea grass; its natural camouflage and the thick vegetation instantly hiding it from view.

"Lucky, he normally hits me at ramming speed whenever he wants to greet me." Romeo grumbled while the two girls snickered.

"Maybe you just don't have the magic touch like we do." Chelia teased before taking Wendy and Romeo by the hand, leading them into the lagoon.

"C'mon. I don't think we've ever been here before and I want to see if there is anything to find."

"All I've seen so far are a bunch of sea bass, grouper, and flatfish. I don't think we'll find much." Romeo said as he picked up a small starfish before setting it back down.

"Still never hurts to look. If anything we can always take a look on land. Maybe a human has been here and left something behind." Chelia said optimistically.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Wendy frowned as she looked between two small rock outcroppings.

"My parents don't like it when I go walking on land; there's too much risk of being spotted by humans."

"It feels weird anyway," Romeo added, "just the thought of my tail splitting and having legs and feet makes me squirm a bit."

Wendy had to agree. For all the tales she had heard of her people told by humans, none of them seemed to be aware of a special ability all merfolk and sharkfolk possessed. When venturing out onto dry land or if their scales were ever exposed to dry sand or dirt, a water folk's tail had the ability to split apart and expose the limbs tucked within. It wasn't a painful change but it was uncomfortable none the less; feeling the scales part and recede under her skin, her legs and feet being freed from the inner confines of her tail and tailfin.

It was always weird to wiggle her toes and bend and flex her legs.

Merfolk and sharkfolk hardly used the ability as they preferred to stay underwater to avoid the humans above. Generally the practice was used by mated pairs who found their way to a deserted island and used their freed limbs for…mating purposes. Wendy blushed at the thought, remembering how Gajeel and Levy had made trips topside before she became pregnant. She even spotted Rogue sneaking off with Kagura recently, the two of them not returning till later in the night.

Wendy shook her head to clear it of such lewd thoughts about her brother's love lives and focused her attention elsewhere. She found Romeo and Chelia in the sea grass, moving towards a sandy clearing when a shadow passed overhead followed by sudden splash, causing their heads to snap upwards. There, they saw a human boat dropping anchor as the metal weight quickly came to rest on the sandy bottom.

"Hide!" Wendy hissed as she all but tackled her friends into the safety of the grass.

"What's a human doing here!? I thought you said this place was deserted!?" Romeo whispered, parting the grass slightly to get a better view of the boat.

"It was!" Chelia whispered back, "Last time I checked, the humans don't bother coming all the way out here."

Another splash was heard and the three looked up to see a human enter the water, quickly sinking all the way down to the bottom and lying flat on his back. He was muscular, had tan skin and tattoos, and had the most vibrant pink hair they had ever seen. He wore only a pair shorts held in place by what seemed to be scarf, tied as if it were a sash, and had a bandana wrapped around his forehead. A fearsome looking spear was held in his right hand; the ten inch blade gleamed in the underwater light.

The human did not move, remaining perfectly still as the sand settled around him. Wendy looked to Chelia, who shrugged her shoulders. Had the human fallen overboard? Was he performing some sort of human ritual? Whatever the reason, they dared not move from their hiding place for fear of what may happen if they did.

And a few heartbeats later, their fears were justified.

The human's arrival had caused a few of the fish to scatter and swim frantically about. But when the man made remained still and made no further movement, the fish began to calm and fall back into their swimming patterns. A grouper swam up to the human to see if he would prove to be edible when with speed that rivaled that of a sailfish, the human sprung to life and impaled the grouper with his spear. He then pivoted on his other hand, just as quickly, and caught a passing sea bass. The human grinned at his catch and removed a net bag from his hip, filling it with the two fish.

As the human was attaching the bag back to his hip, Wendy saw movement out of the corner of her eye. It was Romeo's tiger shark! The predator had smelt the blood from the two fish and sensed the panic from the three water folk.

As soon as it spotted the human, the shark left its hiding place with the intent of ripping him apart limb from limb in order to protect the mermaids and sharkman.

Wendy's eyes widened and she bit her lip to stifle the urge to call out to the human. The tiger shark was making a beeline right for him and his back was turned to the predator; unaware of the approaching danger. She looked to Romeo and Chelia in panic and their expressions mirrored hers. They didn't want to reveal themselves but at the same time, they didn't want the man with pink hair to be ripped apart by the shark.

But then something rather...peculiar happened...something that made the young swimmers eyes widen further.

XXXX

 _ **Natsu…**_

It had been a few days since that strange night out at the cove and Natsu found himself trying his best to not think about the whole thing.

He had been utterly mystified by the whole event, wondering if he truly had been both hearing and seeing things or if he had one of the most realistic dreams he'd ever experienced. Either way, there was no way to describe where that woman had vanished to.

He'd talked to Makarov about it the fallowing morning and the only answer the old timer could give him was that the wind had been playing tricks on him and that he'd seen a seal down on the beach instead of a woman. After all, he'd been traveling for quite some time and was still fatigued from his journey.

Natsu had wanted to agree with Makarov, he truly did, but there was a part of his mind telling him that he had seen a woman down on the beach that night. A woman who had been humming the exact same, randomized song he'd played for Igneel.

But seeing as how he wasn't getting any answers any time soon, he'd done his best to settle back into life on the island.

He'd taken Igneel's outrigger canoe out of the shed and reassembled it along with his wind board and had spent his time back out on the water. Whether it be windsurfing or canoeing around the islands, being out on the water helped put his mind at ease. He'd also rekindled his love for another favorite past time of his; fishing.

Whether it be with a bamboo rod and line, his recurve bow, or his spear, Natsu had nabbed a few good catches these recent days. And today seemed to be no different.

He'd taken the canoe to the smaller islands, located on far, far end of the Tenrou Island chain. One of the islands had a small lagoon that Igneel had taken him to in the past. It was Igneel's private fishing spot, one that no one else knew of, and Natsu remembered many a time when he and his father had camped out on the island and had made impressive catches in the shallow waters.

So, after making it to center of the lagoon, Natsu took a moment to appreciate the serenity of the water and land around him. The waters were calm and clear, allowing him to see all the way to the bottom some thirty feet below, and only birdsong drifted from the trees and tallgrass that sparsely populated the island.

Smiling at the fact that he had the secret spot all to himself, Natsu had dropped anchor and quickly opened the canvas roll out bag that usually held his weapons. He'd left his sword and bow back home, opting instead to use his collapsible spear this time. The spear was easily broken down into three halves which allowed for easy storage when on the move. By simply ratcheting the three halves back together to form a staff, all Natsu had to do was screw the pommel of his combat knife in place and he was good to go.

Weapon in hand, Natsu took a deep breath and went back first into the water, allowing himself to sink all the way down to the sandy bottom.

The thing he loved most about fishing was that it allowed him to further hone the "gift" Igneel had told him about. Not only did his gift allow him to further connect with the world around him, both Natsu and his father had noted that he seemed to be especially adept in the water. His senses were more fine-tuned, his connection seemed to sharpen, he could see underwater just as good if he were on the surface, and he could hold his breath for extended amounts of time without the need to surface.

He couldn't explain why, but he didn't see these things as an oddity. There was something about it all that felt right…something that made him feel perfectly at ease whenever he entered the water.

Now, as Natsu felt his body gently come to rest on the sand, he hoped that he was still in touch with these abilities. The last time he'd used them was back on Ishgar when he'd taken on several riverine operations two years ago. He hadn't been in the water since and he hoped his skills weren't too rusty.

He could sense the fish scatter about around him and knew he'd have to give them time to calm; to think that they were safe around him. So he focused solely on remaining absolutely still and keeping the air in his lungs. After a dozen or so heartbeats later, just as his lungs were starting to give the telltale aces of needing air, Natsu sensed two large fish moving towards him; one on his left and the other on his right. His muscles tensed and he cracked his eye open just a smidge to see a grouper getting ready to nibble on his arm.

" _Now!"_ Natsu had thought, quickly springing to action with all the speed of a coiled viper.

He lashed out with spear and impaled the grouper on the blade. His free hand dug into the sand and he used it to swing around and stab the other grouper before it had a chance to react to his ambush.

Rising to his feet, Natsu grinned in accomplishment. They weren't the size of goliath groupers, but they were decent for their size. They'd make a tasty meal for tonight's dinner.

As Natsu tucked his catch into the net beg he had on his hip, he felt a chill run down his spine. Something or someone was approaching from behind making him grip his spear tighter and tense once more.

He had been expecting a sting ray or possibly a barracuda. But when Natsu spun around, he couldn't stop the surprised cry and garbled profanities that left his mouth. For floating before him, was quite possibly one of the largest tiger sharks he'd ever seen. Natsu instantly scrambled for the surface, praying to the gods that the shark didn't follow him and try to take a bite out of him. He'd seen firsthand the damage they could cause.

Lurching up from the water and onto this canoe, Natsu grasped for air and scrambled into the safety of his boat. He poked his head over the side to see if the shark was circling him, looking for the characteristic dorsal fin breaking the water, but saw nothing. Confused, Natsu raised his head further out and looked down into the water. Sure enough, the shark was still there, having followed him halfway up. But was really surprising was how the shark was listing to the side and was looking up directly at him.

The action reminded Natsu of a person cocking to their head to the side in curiosity.

The shark wasn't being aggressive towards him and this strange behavior only added to the overall weirdness of the situation. He'd never heard of a shark acting like this before and his own curiosity was rising.

With that in mind, Natsu set down his spear, took another deep breath, and prayed that he wasn't about to make one the stupidest decisions in his life.

Natsu dove back into the water, swimming down to meet the shark back on the bottom. The shark followed and circled Natsu slowly, its movements slow and dare he say, calculated. Natsu got the feeling that the shark, in some primitive, animalistic way, was gauging him as a potential threat. There was a frightening intelligence to this shark...something that made Natsu realize that there was more to this animal than just a fearsome apex predator.

Then, much to his surprise, the shark brushed up against him and nudged him gently with its snout.

Tentatively, Natsu ran his hand along the sharks sandpaper like skin. This action seemed to please the shark as it began to back off from Natsu before disappearing back into the tallgrass from whence it came.

Scratching the back of his head, Natsu was about to return to the surface when he spotted a flash of color amongst the sea grass. Looking back to where the tiger shark had gone, Natsu slowly swam forward and hoped the shark wouldn't bother him again. And just as he was about to enter the grass, the sand around him exploded with a force that knocked him back while a muffled cry filled his ears. Natsu flailed about in the water and for the briefest of moments, he thought he spotted a fish with a long slender tail and white scales swim past him before something else shoved him out of the way. Regaining his balance, Natsu was now determined to follow after the fish to catch a better glimpse of it. But the moment he swam out of the cloud of sand, he was greeted by the broadside of the tiger sharks tail as it smacked him aside. Before Natsu could recover, the shark rammed into him with its snout.

The air was knocked out of Natsu and he scrambled back to the surface, nearly choking on the water on his way up. But, thankfully, he was able to scramble back into his canoe once more and let his burning lungs recover.

After series of shallow gasps, Natsu pushed himself back up and found himself starring back into the eyes of the shark. It was floating, an inch or two below the surface, and now held a fish between its jaws. They starred one another done for what seemed like hours before the shark snapped its jaws and in turn, split the fish in half.

Natsu swallowed hard and nodded his head, somehow knowing the shark would understand him. The threat had been made and he'd half to be a complete idiot to ignore it.

Satisfied, the shark swam away from Natsu, who watched the dorsal and tailfin disappear back beneath the water and out of sight.

He sat there for a long time, trying to process what had just happened…and in the end, he wasn't able to make the least bit of sense out of it all.

So, with a deep sigh, Natsu picked up his oar and began to paddle his way out of the lagoon, his eyes scanning the still calm waters for the shark before they narrowed and moved to the open ocean beyond.

First the woman who had disappeared from the beach and now the strangely behaving tiger shark and the even stranger fish he'd seen. Things were starting to get seriously weird in the waters surrounding Tenrou Island…

And Natsu was determined to figure it out, one way or another.

XXXX

 _If only he knew what fate had in store for him…_

 _The events that were about to unfold…_

XXXX

A/N: And there you have it folks. Introducing more characters and world building, because soon enough Natsu will be crossing paths with our favorite mermaid and water folk. The next few chapters are going to be interesting, I can assure you that much. Now, a lot happened in this chapter and I'm sure you may have one or two questions. Feel free to ask them but I may or may not give you a straight answer as for every question, there'll be in answer in due time.

Now, as I stated in the open A/N, I have been working on other stories along with this one….which happened to be finished first out of the three. I'm halfway through with the other two and depending on how things go, I will either be posting them this weekend or sometime next week before I head back to college. Either way, expect some updates soon!

As we move into September and things even out for me, I'll be contemplating whether or not I want to post another project I've had in the works for a while now. Tell me, should I go ahead with it or hold off for a bit? Either way, it's something for me to mull over. Also to note, I'll be going through my less active stories and do some cleaning house with them.

I do believe that covers everything for now!

Next time, CHAPTER 3: In Search Of…

As per usual, if you guys have any comments or questions, please put it in your review and I'll make sure to respond to you in the next chapter. If you have anything else that you wish to ask me or clarify, you can PM me and I'll do my best to respond ASAP.

Until next time; read, review and most importantly of all, HAPPY READING!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hello everyone! I'm still alive, still kicking, and I am so terribly sorry for the very, VERY long absence.

College was seriously kicking my ass with the amount of work that was dumped on me and even though I was writing, the majority of my time and energy went to papers, studying, and my internship (it's college folks, you've got work to do). I've also been taking Civil Service tests for Law Enforcement as that's the career I want to pursue.

For those of you who don't know, this past semester was my final semester of college: I am officially a college graduate with a four year degree. I'm home now and even though things have been busy in my personal life, I've still had time to write so don't expect me to disappear completely. Now, as to getting a full time job and in regards to law enforcement…I'll address all of that at a later date when I feel the time is appropriate to do so. Or, more to the point, when I know what's going on.

I just feel really bad for going this long without posting anything. Hell, it feels weird having time to just write for fun again. More to the point, I can't thank you guys enough for being so very patient with me and for putting up with my crazy schedule and BS. To everyone who has left a follow, a favorite, or a review; from the bottom of my heart, thank you for all of your support.

Last time we got a look at the underwater world and the hidden kingdom of the waterfolk; Fiore. We're introduced to Lucy, a young mermaid who is one of Queen Mavis's guardians and her heir to the throne. We also met other merfolk and sharkfolk and get a look into the underwater lives they lead. And, surprise, surprise, Laxus Dreyar is not only alive, he's become both a merman, a husband, and soon to be father. Meanwhile, Natsu has an encounter in a lagoon, nearly blowing the cover of three young and curious waterfolk while having an interesting encounter with a tiger shark. Now, both parties are curious as to what is going on around the islands and have begun a search to get to the bottom of things. However, a bloody encounter will soon force two worlds to collide, and two old friends to reunite…

As usual before we continue, here is a shout out to you ladies and gents who were kind enough to leave a review last time around:

 _ **Mandariinike:**_ Hello and welcome to the story! I'm glad you're enjoying this little AU I've cooked up!

 _ **ToastedWeirdBrain:**_ Hello and welcome back! I'm happy everything was too you're liking.

 _ **TigerArrowGirl:**_ Hello and welcome to the story! Lucy's magic is similar to her spirit magic but that will all be revealed and explained upon soon. Natsu and Lucy will meet and it will be one hell of a reunion when the time comes.

 _ **Guest:**_ Hello and welcome, glad you like everything so far!

 _ **Guest:**_ Hello! Glad you like the story; don't worry, they'll meet soon!

 _ **Guest:**_ Hello; if you're referring to Disney's Little Mermaid, then not necessarily. It's a mixture of different mermaid stories and AU's.

 _ **SulliMike23:**_ Hey dude, always glad to hear from you. It's nice to see a familiar name pop up in my stories. The ending to this story hasn't been decided upon…yet. This story is part Little Mermaid, part whatever the hell goes on in my head. Yep, there'll be one hell of a reunion soon and this chapter will serve as a catalyst to that meeting.

 _ **Azraela's Fire:**_ Hello and welcome; glad you like the story!

 _ **Wapii:**_ Hello and welcome to the story. Well…without spoiling too much, to answer your question; yes, he is. But not in the way you're thinking. Trust me, it will all be explained in due course and it may be a bit of a surprise as to who Natsu really is. I'm glad everything was too your liking!

 _ **Guest:**_ Hello! Sorry to keep you waiting; here's some more!

 _ **Lollilollicandypop:**_ Hello and welcome to the story! I'm glad my details are helping make the story play put easier for you and I'm sorry for the late updates; just been very busy!

 _ **Ladyritsu:**_ Hello and welcome to the story! I'm happy to hear that you are enjoying things so far!

 _ **Nalucreep:**_ Hello and welcome to the story! Glad you are enjoying things!

 _ **AllHailNatsuDragneel:**_ Hello and welcome to the story! Sorry for the long wait!

So without further ado, let's continue with our story!

XXXX

CHAPTER 3: In Search Of…

XXXX

 _ **Then…**_

 _Natsu stared down at the beach, his head titled to the side slightly while his brow furrowed in curiosity. He wasn't so much focused on the ebb and flow of the tide as he was the strange girl he saw pop out of the water, crawl onto the beach, and then dive back in…only to return minutes later. He wondered what she was doing that was making her come to and from the shore in such a repetitive manner. She kind of reminded him of a sea lion, he thought with a smile._

 _He had first spotted her when he came to this area of the cliff. Igneel had told him not to venture too far from home but being the curious six year old that he was, he'd gone off one day while Igneel was in town and decided to do some exploring. It had been three days ago when he had been lingering near the top of the cliff that he spotted something moving in the water below. Carefully moving to a better angle, Natsu could only stare in wonder as he watched the girl swim about in the cove below, playing with a pod of dolphins, before finally making her way ashore._

 _He had kept quiet and only watched, marveling at how she crawled about like a seal one moment before diving back into the water with the grace of the dolphin's she swam with. Was she one of the mermaids Igneel liked to tell him about in the stories he read?_

 _Was she a real live mermaid!?_

 _He had pondered that question for three days until finally, as of today, he decided he would go down and talk to her. She had just ducked back down into the water so now was his chance to make his way down to the beach. After carefully navigating the steep hillside, Natsu made his way to where he had watched the girl toiling around._

 _There he found a small pit having been dug into the sand. And it was filled with green and blue crystals; crystals he'd never seen before. It looked as if the girl was stashing them away, but for what?_

 _There was a loud splash and Natsu looked up to see the girl riding the surf in, or to be more precise, riding inside the surf. The wave crashed down and the girl slid out gracefully on her belly and glided across the wet sand._

 _Natsu let out a soft gasp. She had no feet, no legs; only a tail with brightly colored pink scales. She had short blonde hair cut into a bob that framed her heart shaped face. Natsu had never seen someone so…so…pretty. No, that wasn't the right word. Igneel was always telling him to use the big words he taught him whenever he really wanted to describe something. This girl was…gorgeous, striking, angelic…beautiful. Yeah…those were the right words, Natsu reasoned._

 _It was then that Natsu realized that the girl had a small pouch tied around her waist…and that her tail was quickly receding into her body to reveal a pair of legs. It was weird seeing such a thing…but then again, Natsu thought it would seem weird to anyone. Especially the grownups…they freaked out whenever something weird happened._

 _The girl crawled back up to her hole and it was then that she finally noticed the pair of feet standing before her. Slowly looking up, the girls mouth parted in shock, her brilliant gold colored eyes going wide and she let out a surprised, "Eep!"_

" _Hi!" Natsu grinned brightly, "What'cha doin'?"_

 _The girl quickly back peddled towards the water, but in her haste, she tripped over her feet and fell onto her rear; spilling the contents of her pouch._

" _Oh no!" The girl cried in alarm as she frantically scrambled to save the spilled crystals that she could._

 _Seeing the girl's panic, Natsu quickly slid down on his knees and grabbed as many of the crystals as he could too before the surf washed them away. Luckily, he managed to grab most of them. The girl frowned upon seeing how little she had collected until Natsu presented his open palms to her, a gentle smile on his lips._

 _Blushing slightly, the girl shyly took her crystals back and pocketed them once more._

" _Thank you…" She muttered._

" _Your welcome." Natsu smiled, before extending his hand, just like Igneel taught him._

" _I'm Natsu; what's your name?"_

 _The girl looked to Natsu's hand, to him, to the hand, and then back to him. Slowly, cautiously, she took hold of Natsu's hand and blushed harder when his much warmer fingers wrapped around hers._

" _I'm…I'm…I'm Lucy. I-It's nice to meet you Natsu…t-thank you for saving my crystals."_

" _No problem!" Natsu grinned, giving Lucy's hand a quick shake, making her wince slightly. For a boy her age, he had quite the grip!_

" _Why are you grabbing all of those crystals? Are you making something?" Natsu asked._

" _Uhm….yes…I'm trying to make a necklace but I need to find the really pretty ones in order to make it. I bring them here to safely put away the ones that I've collected. But…it's been hard finding the right ones."_

" _Hmmm…must be a super special necklace if you're looking through all of those crystals. I know! Why don't I help you go look for the right crystals and then sort them out? I can swim for a really, really long time."_

 _Lucy blinked in surprise but then smiled a hesitant smile. When a mermaid made a promise necklace, they weren't really supposed to ask other water folk for help. It was a special task only one could take on their own. But this boy…he wasn't a member of the water folk now was he._

" _Okay." Lucy smiled, gesturing to the water, "Follow me."_

" _Cool!" Natsu beamed as he threw off his shirt and sandals. Igneel would be confused and maybe upset that he got his shorts wet but then again, Natsu could always claim he fell in the creek or something like that._

 _As he waded into the water, Natsu watched as Lucy's legs turned back into a tail and fins._

" _Hey Lucy, are you a mermaid?" Natsu asked._

"… _Yes." Lucy said hesitantly after ducking underwater to wet her hair._

" _Cool!" Natsu grinned, "I've never met a mermaid before."_

 _Lucy giggled, "You're a human then, right?" Natsu nodded, "I've never met a human before."_

 _And together, the two young children searched and scoured the cove for Lucy's treasured crystals. But soon enough they stopped searching altogether and began playing; first with games of tag, then hide and go seek, and finally make believe._

 _It was an afternoon filled with laughter, imagination, and the beginning of a friendship._

…

…

…

" _Hey Lucy?" Natsu asked, propping himself up on his arms while still staring at the setting sun. He'd have to get back home soon or his dad would get worried._

" _Hmmm?" Lucy hummed, rolling onto her side to look up at Natsu._

" _You want to come back here tomorrow and play some more?" Natsu said, turning to face the mermaid._

 _Lucy blinked in surprise before she smiled a bright smile and nodded her head vigorously._

" _Yeah, you bet!" Lucy beamed, taking Natsu's hand into hers, "We'll go exploring again! It'll be so much fun!"_

XXXX

 _ **Now…**_

"If this is your version of fun," Makarov grunted as he helped load the supply crate onto the boat, "I think you're overdue to get your head checked out."

"I'll have you know that I only have a few screws loose, thank you very much." Natsu said as he set aside another crate into the catamaran.

"And they haven't rattled my brain just yet!"

"That's up for debate." A passing fisherman said with a cackle, having heard the conversation.

"I think I can hear the wind tunneling."

"Oi!" Natsu said with a grin, "If I wanted you're opinion I would've asked for it!"

"Honestly, where are you going that you're going to need all of this crap? You have your father's outrigger, why not use that instead?" Makarov said as he popped a kink in his back.

"Because the outrigger can't hold a weeks' worth of supplies. I'm going to need the space if I'm going to be looking around the outer islands." Natsu replied, setting down two large jugs of fresh water.

"Ah, yes. Tell me my boy, what in the Sam Hill compelled you to undertake this little trip of yours." Makarov said as he added Natsu's bed roll and blankets to the catamaran.

"…I saw something the other day that I can't explain." Natsu said after a slight pause.

"And I intend to figure it out."

"…You sure you're feeling alright? You're not holding your breath too long under water are you?" Makarov arched his brow, making Natsu snigger.

"You just worry about yourself old man. I'll be fine; I survived six years of hell after all." Natsu smiled as he took a step back to observe the catamaran, hands on his hips.

"I think that's everything. Like I said, I'm going to be gone for a week, possibly longer. If anything happens I know how to find my way back."

"Just be careful kiddo," Makarov said, "there's only so much this old heart can take."

"Pssh," Natsu scoffed, "Makarov, if anything, you'll outlive us for a while longer. Care to help me cast off?"

Soon enough, Makarov was waving to Natsu as the young islander guided the catamaran out of the port. Whatever crazy idea he'd gotten into his head, Makarov hoped it didn't get the lad hurt…or worse. Natsu had a tendency to set his mind on things and once he became focused, it was hard to break him away. Whatever Natsu had seen had obviously gotten his attention…but whatever it was, Makarov could only guess.

Sighing heavily with a shake of his head, Makarov found himself reminiscing about the days of his youth when he too would take to the waves in search of his next adventure. A sudden change in the breeze made him arch his brow and look to the sky before turning his attention to the surrounding islands.

"Hmmm," Makarov hummed with a frown, "the winds of change. Something's about to happen Natsu, be ready for whatever that may be."

Once clear of the harbor, Natsu set the sails and let the wind carry him past the barrier islands that formed a corridor into the harbor. He'd head back to the lagoon and start his search there, searching the waters for that tiger shark. He still couldn't comprehend the fact that the thing not only understood him but could interact with him as well, all the while choosing not turn him into its lunch. It was disturbingly abnormal behavior for a shark as was the fact that it seemed to be protecting something…. _or someone_.

He'd never tell anyone this lest they think him a lunatic but he stood by the fact that he had seen a very human hand slip by him in the churned up sand when he dove into the water that day. Whoever was out there did not want to be found; his experience in the war told him that much. But that didn't deter Natsu. Tiger shark or not, whatever had been hiding in the tall grass that day may very well be connected to that mysterious woman he had seen days earlier.

There was a connection to all of this; he could feel it. And he was going to get his answers one way or another.

If the lagoon didn't yield any clues then he'd sail around the outer islands and follow the schools of fish and whatever aquatic life lay beneath the surface; for where there were fish, there were sharks. Sharks were predominantly solitary creatures but that didn't mean they couldn't be tracked down. There were ways for finding sharks. Perhaps he'd get lucky and find his mysterious tiger shark in the process.

The islanders had a deep reverence and fear for sharks; they were the masters of the seas and it would do no one any good to piss one off. To the ordinary man, tracking down a killing machine was an idea of pure insanity, especially since tiger sharks were rated as the third deadliest shark in the world (the Bull Shark and Great White taking second and top place respectively). Any one of those sharks could clamp its jaws down and shred a man to pieces without mercy.

It was paramount to maintain a mutual respect between man and shark.

But to Natsu, it was just another thrill of being a part of the islands. Besides, his luck had held out for him so far-as had his unique abilities-why should they run out now?

With that thought in mind, Natsu let his hand skim above the top of the water and enjoyed the feeling of the wind through his hair.

XXXX

 _ **Upper Reef, Fiore…**_

Lucy let her tail lazily flip back in forth in the water. She lay on her back on her bedding of soft grass and sand, resting her head on her arm while her free hand gently traced the yin and yang dolphin tattoo Mavis had bestowed upon her; the mark of the queen.

She was still coming to grips with the fact that someday down the line, she was to be queen of the water folk. The thought was as thrilling as it was nerve wracking and Lucy wished more than anything for it to be nightfall; for the stars to fill the sky. They would bring her comfort, help put her mind at ease like they always did as she floated on the surface above. She wouldn't be returning to the islands anytime soon and she could already feel herself missing her private beach.

Her friends had been nothing short of surprised at the news of her future coronation and they had quickly cobbled together a party in her honor, in addition to Jellal and Erza's bonding and the announcement of Laxus and Mira's child. If there was one thing the water folk were known for, it was their parties that stretched on into the late hours of the night. And for the alcohol that was salvaged from human ships.

In general, spirits were at an all-time high and the feeling made Lucy smile despite the unease she felt. She loved her friends and her people and she'd do anything for them. The prospect of being their queen, however, was still a daunting one.

Her fingers bushed against her necklace as it swayed in the ebbing of the water and Lucy's smile quickly softened, her eyes becoming downcast.

"What would you think about all of this, I wonder." Lucy murmured aloud, "What would you think...Natsu?"

A memory of a boy with the brightest smile and vibrant colored hair filled her mind's eye and Lucy promptly shook her head to rid herself of the memory. No; she shouldn't be thinking about him. He had broken his promise and her heart; she didn't care about him anymore! He had forgotten her…and she needed to forget him. A task that was easier said than done.

For years he had haunted her dreams, never quite disappearing. She knew for a fact that the others hadn't forgotten him either although they had done very well at not mentioning him over the years. She knew it was not just for her sake but theirs as well.

That whole incident had become an old wound no one wanted to reopen.

"Are you alright Lucy?" A voice asked from above.

Lucy opened her eyes to see Wendy floating above her and she smiled at the young mermaid.

"Oh! I didn't sense you Wendy, please come down." Lucy beckoned with a smile, "I'm fine…just overthinking things that's all."

Wendy settled onto the sand next to her quasi sister and tucked her knees against her chest while she gently reached out and traced her fingers around Lucy's tattoo. Wendy had always looked up to Lucy and the other mermaids in her life. From her mother to Levy and Lucy, Wendy thought of them all as her sisters. It made her heart swell to no end knowing that she was going to be an aunt, that Mira was having a baby, and that Lucy would become her queen.

"Wow, I still can't believe that you're going to be queen. That's so cool Lucy!" Wendy beamed.

"You and me both." Lucy sighed as she sat up and began to braid Wendy's hair. Wendy leaned back into Lucy, enjoying being able to spend time with her.

"It was nice of you to stop by," Lucy continued, "I would have thought you'd be out with your friends or maybe even with your brothers and Levy and Kagura."

"I'm meeting with Romeo and Chelia later on today; we're going back out to the islands. Gajeel and Levy are meeting with a few of the other expecting parents, Levy said something to about checking on the babies; and Rogue and Kagura made plans to go hang out with Minerva, Sting, and Yukino."

"The islands?" Lucy double blinked, "You kids know you're not supposed to go out that far; what if a human were to see you?"

"Sorry, we know." Wendy smiled sheepishly, "But the reef gets so boring around here that we need someplace fun to go. Besides, we're careful."

Lucy shook her head, "You're lucky your brothers or your parents don't know that you've been out that way. You could get in serious trouble."

"You go out there all the time." Wendy countered.

"Yes, but I can handle myself. If you were to be caught by a human, gods know what they would do to you and your friends."

Wendy frowned and rested her chin on her knees. Lucy sighed and gently ran her hand up and down the young mermaids back in a soothing motion.

"What are they like?" Wendy asked, "Humans I mean."

Lucy paused and frowned slightly, "Why do you want to know?"

"I've never seen one before. But…Levy told me that you, her, my brothers, and a bunch of your friends used to be friends with one. Like Laxus, before he became one of us. Is that true?"

"Did she now?" Lucy said, her eyes narrowing slightly.

She was silent for a moment as she continued to braid Wendy's hair. Wendy felt Lucy tense and she bit her lip, hoping she didn't upset her soon to be queen.

"We were friends…once. But that was a long time ago. In the end he turned out to be like just the rest of them. _A liar_."

"What?" Wendy winced at the venom in Lucy's voice and looked over her shoulder to see that she had finished her braiding and had drifted over to a nearby rock. She had a faraway look in her eyes and her one hand clenched and unclenched slowly while her other had gone to her necklace.

 _She had felt her heart skip a beat at Natsu's words and not in the good kind of way like it usually did around him._

"… _What?" Lucy whispered._

 _No…he had misspoken. That couldn't be right…he…he had misspoken, that was all._

 _Natsu bit his lip while tears filled his eyes; his hands balled into fists and shook at his sides. He swallowed hard and tried to speak, the words hardly moving past the lump in his throat._

" _I'm sorry Lucy…my dad…my dad says you and I can't be friends anymore." Natsu finally croaked._

" _What? No…No!" She cried as tears welled up in her eyes, "We can still be friends Natsu! I don't care what my mommy or my queen say! You're my bestest, best friend remember!? My promised one! We're meant to be together, forever and always!"_

 _Natsu flinched, as if struck by a mighty punch; his countenance one of torn heartbreak._

" _I'm really sorry Lucy." The young boy lowered his head in shame, "My dad told me to forget about you and the others…he's really upset and told me to never come back here again; it's too dangerous for me to be with you and the others. We can't…I can't be your promised one anymore."_

" _No!" Lucy protested as hot tears streaked down her face. She made to grab Natsu's hand but the boy stepped out of reach, trembling and shaking his head._

" _G-Goodbye Lucy." Natsu choked out and quickly turned on his heel and ran away._

" _Natsu!" Lucy called out, "Natsu!"_

 _The boy didn't look back as he ran up the hill, away from her._

" _No! You promised Natsu; you promised!" Lucy sobbed as she as she fell onto the sand._

" _We made a promise! You said it was really bad to break a promise Natsu, you said so; you promised we'd be best friends forever and ever!"_

 _Lucy's heartbroken sobs filled the air only to be sporadically broken by pained coughs due to her crying so hard. Her hands began to claw, at first out of frustration, and then furiously punch at the sand as a new emotion overcame her: anger._

 _Unbridled anger that made the blood in her veins boil._

" _Liar…Liar…Liar," Lucy seethed, "Liar, liar, liar, liar!"_

 _Her head snapped up, catching the final glance of Natsu's retreating form._

" _LIAR! YOU'RE A LIAR NATSU! I HATE YOU!"_

 _Had Natsu stayed with Lucy, he would have seen the whites of her eyes turn black-her tears now streaming like ink down her face-and the once radiant gold of her eyes turn a fierce, burning orange. Her canines turned dangerously sharp._

" _DO YOU HEAR ME NATSU!?" Lucy roared, "I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN, EVER! YOU CAN GO TO HELL FOR ALL I CARE! I HATE YOU!"_

 _Her voiced echoed around the cove and was carried on the wind, no doubt reaching Natsu's ears._

" _I. HATE. YOU!"_

"Lucy? Lucy are you alright?" Wendy's voice snapped her out of the painful memory.

Lucy blinked rapidly before massaging her temples, "Sorry…I'm fine."

Wendy wrung her hands slightly and her tail fin twitched in an uneasy manner. Lucy sighed heavily and turned her back to Wendy.

"Stay away from humans Wendy. Just…stay away from them."

"Lucy, I-"

"Leave." Lucy's tone left no room for argument and Wendy bowed her head and offered an apology.

"I'll see you later Lucy…if…if you're feeling better later, Levy and Gajeel invited you and Anna to dinner; Gray and Juvia will be there too along with everyone else."

Lucy didn't respond and Wendy knew she best take her leave to give Lucy some time to cool down. She'd struck a nerve and she didn't like it when Lucy got angry; she became really, really scary when she got angry.

And so Wendy left Lucy to her solitude, gliding away from the kelp forests and making her way to the "border" that separated her world from the humans. There she found Romeo and Chelia waiting for her.

"So, what did Lucy have to say? Did you get a chance to ask her if she knew about any humans like the one we saw?" Romeo asked.

"No," Wendy shook her head, "I tried to but she got super defensive about it and told me to stay away from humans."

"Sound and reasonable advice." Chelia said, crossing her arms, "Honestly Wendy, why are you so deadest on trying to figure out who that human was?"

"Because of how the shark reacted to him." Wendy said, "Because of how he moved and swam in the water. You saw how quickly he nabbed those fish and held his breathe."

"Not to mention how quickly the shark warmed up to him. Was it just me or did it look like he could actually talk with the shark?" Romeo added.

"That's the point." Wendy pressed, "Humans can't do any of that. He acted more like one us than a human!"

"Is that even possible?" Chelia asked, "I've never heard of a human who could do all of that."

"I don't think anyone ever has. Which is why I want to find him. If we can do that, maybe we can get some answers."

"And then what, let the whole ocean know about him?" Chelia rolled her eyes, "C'mon Wendy, think about it; the guy is probably going to run off screaming when he sees us. We pop up, say hi, and the guy will think he's lost his mind. And more to the point, where would we even look? The guy could be anywhere by now."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Wendy said, a little too quickly for Chelia's liking.

"We could get in a lot of trouble for this. I don't think the queen would be too happy with us trying to talk to a human." Cheila said, her unease evident.

"Only if we get caught." Wendy said, smirking slightly to herself; she felt like her brothers then and there.

"There's no telling us otherwise." Romeo affirmed.

"Nope." Wendy said with a pop of her lips.

Chelia sighed heavily and shook her head. How they managed to get themselves wrangled into all of this was beyond her. But she wasn't going to leave Wendy and Romeo to go off on their own.

"Alright…" Chelia said, raising her hands in defeat.

"Where do we start?"

XXXX

 _ **Three Days Later…**_

Natsu sighed heavily as she trudged his way out of the water, his lunch and dinner slung over his shoulder in a net.

He was almost towards the end of the northern half of the Tenrou Island chain. After three days of searching every lagoon, every stream, every salt and fresh water inlet, and every cove and beach, Natsu had thus far come up empty in his search for the ever elusive…well, whatever the hell he was looking for.

He had come across plenty of tiger sharks but none of them were the one he had seen days earlier; they were all small fry compared to the "Guardian." At least, that's what he liked to think of it as since it was obviously protecting something.

He knew for sure that it had white scales but when he took the time to think about it, he had never seen a fish with that sort of scale coloration before. Most fish had silver scales that reflected light to almost look white but the scales on his mystery fish were pure white; like freshly fallen snow. And then the more he thought on that, the more would see the things fin look more and more like a webbed hand …but that idea was simply ridiculous. It was impossible, really.

At this rate the thing was going to look like a mermaid in his mind's eye than some obviously rare fish.

"This is not one of dad's stories," Natsu muttered as he gutted and descaled his catch, "this is real life. Those things don't exist."

His eyes narrowed slightly as he distinctly heard Igneel's voice fill his mind with tales of the water folk and many a grand adventure.

He silenced the errant thoughts by grabbing two small branches he had cut down and quickly used his knife to sharpen the ends to fine points. He impaled the fish on the skewers he had made and placed them over his cooking fire.

Natsu ran his hand through his damp hair and retrieved his water bladder from the boat before settling beneath the shade of a palm tree. The island was relatively large with varying terrain; sandy beaches, natural tall grass trails, palm trees, volcanic rock formations, salt and freshwater streams. But it was cozy and in between the rest of the islands he needed to search. He'd hit the last of the bigger ones tomorrow; he could see them from his spot and they were just a hop and skip away. From there he'd scout out Crocodile Cove and turn back towards Tenrou, heading south to the rest of the island chain.

Taking a drink of water, Natsu sighed once more.

"Those things aren't real dad," Natsu said aloud, "I was going out of my mind because of that shark and just imagined seeing a…hand."

The thought of the shark made him uncomfortable because it also brought home the fact that over the last few days, the aquatic life around him had acted similar to that damn shark. Stingrays would come out of hiding and circle around him; sharks would come in for the kill only to pause at the last minute and gently rub past him; hell, he barely escaped a small pod of dolphins from trying to play a game of tag with him.

It was all…troubling. Animals had been drawn to him in the past but nothing near the rates as the last few days. It almost seemed as if the interactions were escalating.

He didn't know what to make of it so ergo, he did his best to ignore it all. It had to be the weather or something that was making the animals act weird.

The smell of cooked fish caught his attention and Natsu quickly scrambled to the fire to make sure his meal didn't burn. Once the fish was secure, Natsu grabbed the sea bass he had selected and took a large bite out of it.

The fresh food put him at ease and Natsu sat back down beneath his palm tree. Things may be getting weird around the islands but he knew there had to be a reasonable explanation to it all. He just had to find it first.

XXXX

"What's that smell?" Chelia asked as she sniffed the air, "It smells like fish but it's…different."

"Delicious is what it is." Romeo smiled as his eyes closed with a pleased hum. He wiped his mouth to prevent himself from drooling.

Wendy had to admit, the scent that had wafted in on the breeze was definitely making her salivate to the point where she would start drooling if she didn't get a grip.

They had managed to sneak out again for a third day, this time under the guise that they'd be out late to help Romeo and Wendy with their hunting skills. If they were gone for a night or two, no one would be overly concerned. Wendy didn't think anyone bought the story anyway.

She heard the whispers the adults said to one another, saying how the three of them were really sneaking out for some…private time together. It wasn't something that was frowned upon and although uncommon, there was no law that said a merfolk or sharkfolk couldn't have more than one mate. If the teens were simply exploring the idea of bonding and courtship, no one would fault them.

Despite the blush that always warmed her cheeks, Wendy didn't have the heart to tell the adults that they hadn't been exactly wrong. Oh well, let them think what they wanted to think.

Either way, the three waterfolk intended to make the most of the free time that they had. So far their search for the elusive human had come up empty. This was the farthest they knew humans would venture within their own islands so there was always the possibility that someone would be out here.

The morning and early afternoon had been spent searching the islands top to bottom and now the three teens were resting on dryland beneath the shade of a few trees. They had laid there for a while, munching on clams and mussels and drinking from coconuts. When that was done, and enjoying the break, Wendy had felt adventurous and decided to tickle Chelia's exposed feet. Chelia's laughter spurred Romeo to join in and a full on tickle fight had ensued. But somewhere along the line, the tickling had changed into kissing and neither of the teens had minded in the least.

After all, they were taking a break so why not relax while they could before continuing their search.

Then the wind had shifted and brought with it the new smell and made them stop what they were doing. It was close, they could sense that much; most likely coming from one of the larger nearby islands.

"Do you think it could be a human?" Romeo asked.

"Possibly." Wendy said, "Levy told me that humans do this thing called 'cooking'. It's where they heat up their food with fire to make it more edible."

"Then let's go check it out." Romeo said, "It's what we came out here for and it's the best lead we've had in days."

"Agreed." Wendy said, having forgotten about the afternoon meal, tickle fight, and bonding.

"But let's be careful, we don't know how many humans may be out here."

"Then I've got an idea; why not cross over onto land and sneak our way to whoever is out there. Follow our noses and all that." Romeo added, earning a smile from the two girls.

"Let's do it." Chelia grinned, "C'mon, follow me!"

Chelia dove into the water and was soon gliding over the surface. Romeo made to follow but was stopped when Wendy grabbed his arm and stopped him so she could peck him on the cheek.

"I like the way you think." She smiled softly and winked before she dove in after Chelia, leaving a flustered Romeo to follow her.

They followed the scent across the water to the island, noting how it did seem to come from the other side opposite of them. They entered the island via a tidal pool which connected to a stream before hopping out and back onto dry land. Wendy was glad that the ground on the island was made of sand and soft earth; she hated going barefoot and stepping on rocks. Keeping to the underbrush, the teens followed the scent of cooking fish towards the northwestern edge of the island.

"The smell is getting stronger," Wendy said after taking a strong sniff of the air, "I think we're close."

"Then let's be extra careful…and keep your voices down." Chelia said in a hushed tone. Romeo and Wendy nodded and together, the three water folk staggered their movements, doing their best to not step on fallen branches and leaf piles.

They eventually came to a small ridgeline that offered an overview of the beach and surrounding shoreline. From their perch, they could see the remaining islands that dotted the shallows before the sea stretched on towards the horizon.

And below them, on the beach, was a boat moored to a palm tree and accompanied by a loan human. A human with salmon pink hair.

"It's him!" Wendy whispered, fighting to keep her voice down.

"Well I'll be damned," Chelia added, "what are the odds."

"So that's where the smell is coming from; it's his cooking fire." Romeo said, "But what is he doing out here?"

"Fishing? Traveling? Who knows; whatever it is humans like to do?" Chelia guessed.

"It doesn't matter, we've found him…now we just need a way to approach him without startling him." Wendy said.

"Pft, good luck with that." Chelia shook her head, "Last time I checked, we don't exactly look like normal humans."

"Well, we have talk to him somehow." Wendy pressed.

"…Would you prefer before or after the sea snake bites him?" Romeo asked, pointing down at the human.

"Huh?" Chelia and Wendy asked and upon further inspection, found that indeed a yellow bellied sea snake had slithered its way onto the beach and was approaching the human.

Sea snakes, although friendly towards waterfolk, had a reputation for being aggressive with humans.

Sea snake venom was known for being notoriously toxic and could kill a grown man in mere minutes within being bitten. Wendy remembered Levy telling her stories of how humans used to hunt sea snakes and use their venom to coat arrowheads or needles. The weapons used wouldn't necessarily kill the intended target; the venom would do all of the work. Wendy was debating whether or not to try and call the sea snake off and warn the human or stay hidden and hope the human was paying attention.

Self-preservation made her stay in the underbrush.

The sea snake drew uncomfortably close to the human and Wendy bit her lip in tense anticipation, dreading when the human would flinch in the wrong way and the snake would lash out.

But, to her surprise, something else entirely happened.

The human did indeed flinch when he noticed how close the snake had gotten and was reaching for his spear when he paused, noticing how the snake had paused in kind. Wendy was seeing a parallel between how the tiger shark had interacted with the human the last time around and how the snake was acting now; it seemed curious more than anything.

Then, cautiously, the human extended his hand and the snake slowly coiled itself around his arm.

"You'd better not bite me," the human spoke, "because if you do, the last thing I'll do is skin your hide."

The snake offered no response, remaining coiled for another minute before untangling itself and sliding back onto the sand. The human sighed heavily and ran his hand down his face.

"You too huh?" The human said, taking a bite out of his cooked fish.

"First the shark, then the rays, then the dolphins, and now sea snakes. What's next, is a freakin whale going to beach itself just to say hi to me? Maybe I'll get lucky and a pack of orca's can use me as a toy."

The human did hide the bitterness in his voice, lamenting his apparent misfortune in being able to connect with aquatic life. Although considering the behavior strange, Wendy didn't think it was something the human should be frowning upon. He had a gift, something that made him special in her eyes, and she wished more than anything to both understand this human and encourage him to develop his gift.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that snake thought he was one of us." Romeo whispered.

"But that's impossible. There's no way he could have waterfolk blood in him. I mean look at him, he's clearly a human." Chelia countered.

"Maybe he's an exception." Wendy replied, leaning further forward…and feeling the loose ground underneath her hands begin to give way. It was then that she realized that she had been so mesmerized by the human and the sea snake that she had been leaning forward to get a better look. Her hands had dug into the soil…loosening it.

Before either Romeo or Chelia could grab her, she toppled forward, end over end down the ridge. She let out a startled cry while Romeo and Chelia called out to her. She came to a tumbling stop and found herself sprawled out on the beach.

"What the hell!?" She vaguely heard the human cry out in alarm.

Wendy groaned as she pushed herself up on her hands and knees, shaking her head to clear it.

"Holy shit, are you alright; that was one hell of a fall." The humans voice sounded closer now and she looked up to see him approaching her.

It was in that moment that Wendy realized how imposing the human was up close. Between his muscular frame, penetrating eyes, and scar lined skin, he looked very different out of the water. Wendy felt the curiosity and bravery that she had previously held had fled her.

Undoubtedly having taken in her appearance, the human averted his eyes out of what she assumed to be decency.

"What are you doing all the way out here? Are you alright? What happened to your clothes?" The human asked.

Wendy swallowed hard and slowly stood, backing away as she did so. It was hard to stop her hands from shaking in fear. The human glanced back at her, noticing her movement, and frowned.

"Hey, look, I'm not going to hurt you if that's what you're thinking." The human said. Still keeping his eyes averted, he extended his hand to her.

"Look…if you're hurt or in trouble, I'll help you."

A rock sailed through the air and landed at the human's feet, making him curse in surprise.

"Wendy, run!" Chelia called out, having sprung from cover. Romeo too had risen and threw another rock.

"What the hell! Hey!" The human yelped as he dodged the incoming rock, "What the hell are you doing, you're going to hurt me doing that!"

Wendy saw her opportunity and bolted back to the ridge, her natural agility helping her ascend the uneven terrain.

"Hey wait!" The human said in alarm, "Stop!"

Wendy scrambled up the ridge and looked over her shoulder, only to let out a startled gasp when she saw that the human was pursuing her, making his way up the ridge with equal skill.

"Run! Wendy run!" Chelia cried out and Wendy pumped her legs faster.

She leapt over the crest of the ridge and nearly tumbled into Romeo, who caught her. He took her by the hand and together, they darted in the brush and trees with Chelia keeping pace.

"Kids wait!" The human called out, "Wait!"

They ignored him. They ran across the island, crossing water, leaping over rock, and pushing past brush as they tried to evade the pursuing human. But he didn't relent, seemingly hell bent on catching up with the mysterious teens who had popped out of nowhere.

"Stop!" The human called out again, "We're nearing the cliffs; it's a sheer drop!"

Wendy could smell the sea in the air and new that safety was nearby. The brush and trees began to thin out, the ground became rockier, and she could see the land began to fall away; the sparkling blue of the ocean beyond.

"Jump for it!" Chelia cried out as they sprang out of the jungle. The human had been right, though. The rocky ground only lasted a few more feet before suddenly dropping away into a shallow water cove beyond. That did nothing to slow their speed. If anything, the drop off spurred them on, moving faster until at the last possible moment, they leapt into the air and dove for the water.

XXXX

"No!" Natsu cried out when he watched the three teen's swan dive off the cliff.

Had they lost their minds!? First they appear out of nowhere, then they run off leading him on a frantic chase through the jungle, and now they had seemingly leaped to their deaths. The water around the island was shallow, shallow enough that if one were to jump they wouldn't kill themselves. But that didn't rule out injury and the last thing Natsu needed was three injured teens on his conscience.

He had only been trying to help. How was he supposed to react to a girl who had no clothes on, came tumbling out of the bush, and looked at him like he was a monster. She could be a runaway slave or someone out of their mind, thinking he would turn her back in or hurt her even more for that matter. The same probably went to the other two she was with.

And now it seemed he had done just that; scared the hell out of them and inadvertently drove them to their deaths.

Natsu forced himself to skid to a stop and carefully edge his way towards the edge of the cliff. Peering over the edge, he expected to see three bodies floating motionless in the water. But instead, he found nothing.

No blood turning the water red.

No bodies floating limp and broken.

The three teens had seemingly vanished.

"What in the hell?" Natsu asked as his eyes scanned the open water. The water of the cove was shallow, at least twenty feet at most, and it was clear all the way down to the bottom. If the teens had survived and has sunk all the way to the bottom, he'd still be able to see them.

But then Natsu saw that the cove wasn't as empty as he had initially thought at first glance. Anchored near the mouth of the cove was an old heavy frigate. The ship looked like it has seen better days but was none the less seaworthy. The sails were drawn down, suggesting the crew were taking time to either rest up of make repairs. They were crazy, however, for bringing a ship of that size around this part of the island chain. The waters were shallow making it hard to navigate or make a speedy passage.

Then Natsu saw the flag of the ship flutter in the breeze. It bared a familiar symbol, one that he'd seen the week before.

"Sylph Labrynth." Natsu said aloud, "So those crazy treasure hunters are still hanging around after all."

It made sense now as to why the ship was this far into the shallows. Those treasure hunters were more than likely looking for anything valuable-not that they'd find anything out here-while more than likely still continuing their asinine quest for Fiore.

In the cove below, long boats sat in the water with Sylph Labrynth members casting fishing lines and nets. Most likely fishing for a grouper, flounder, or maybe even a seal.

Movement in the water caught his attention and saw three figures glide beneath the surface. At first glance they looked like seals or dolphins, but the more he focused on them, the more he realized that wasn't the case. They didn't move like seals or dolphins; their movements were more streamlined but not as quick.

Apparently he wasn't the only one who took notice as he heard a Sylph Labrynth hunter call out to his companions and begin pointing at the water. The figures tried to slip beneath the longboats and make a break for the mouth of the cove, for open water, but it wasn't to be. Spears and arrows were tossed and fired into the water, one of the figures floundered and its companions quickly turned to help. Nets were cast and the figures were caught then hauled into the one longboat.

For a moment, all was still as the treasure hunters marveled at what they had caught. Focusing, his keen eyesight dialed in on a scene that made his jaw drop. The treasure hunters had caught the three teens he'd just been chasing. Only...they had changed. Somehow, between now and then, their legs had been replaced with long, slender tails and fins.

Now instead of human…they looked like…like mermaids.

No…it wasn't possible. He had to be seeing things! It had to be a trick of the light or shadows or…or something!

Before he could second guess himself, the teens began to thrash about in the nets. The treasure hunters let out jovial cries and quickly gagged and bound their captives. With their prisoners secured, the treasure hunters drew anchor and set off for their ship.

Realizing what was happening, Natsu's mouth drew into a deep scowl while his temper flared within him. As confused as he was to what had just transpired, Natsu pushed it aside and focused on what he knew. And that was that two young women and a young man had just been captured by a treasure hunter guild that didn't have the best of reputations. Treasure hunters who weren't above harming or even killing others to get what they wanted.

And if they thought those three teens were mermaids then…

Natsu didn't even want to think about what would be done to them.

They needed help and they needed it fast. It would take him too long to get back home and assemble a rescue party. By the time they'd have caught up with the treasure hunters, it may very well be too late for the teens.

No.

Only he could help them. With that thought at the forefront of his mind, Natsu gripped his spear tighter and turned on his heel, making a run back to the beach and his boat. Saving those teens was his top priority now and a plan was starting to form in his head; his errant questions and confusion having been pushed back till later.

There were only a few navigable routes out of the norther shallows and Natsu knew them all by heart. Given the size of the hunters ship, the most likely route they'd take would be away from the island he was on now and towards to the "gateway islands"; the last two remaining large islands in this part of the chain that led directly to deep water. They'd have to travel slowly, lest they run their ship aground, so the trip would take two days at the most.

Plenty of time for Natsu get ahead of them and plot out his rescue. If he timed it right, he'd be able to strike right as they reached deep water, allowing him and the teens to slip into relative safety and escape onto the islands. From there, he'd island hop away from the treasure hunters until he got the teens to Tenrou Island, where they'd be safe.

It was a rough plan but it was a plan none the less. He had two days to fine tune and improvise if need be. Two days to call upon the warrior's spirit within him and summon the strength to do what needed to be done.

Two days to hope those three teens were strong enough to hold out for that long. Because if they didn't, those two days would soon turn into an unbearable nightmare.

XXXX

A/N: And there you have it folks. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, this took me way longer to get out than I would have liked! I apologize if things seem weirdly worded or out of place with this chapter; having a million thoughts in your head and balancing out other stories tends to do that. Hell, this took me longer to write than I had planned on!

I blame this on my crazy personal life, my work schedule, police/security testing, and a slight case of writer's block/procrastination. Both way, I was able to get this out to you all and I once again am very, VERY SORRY FOR MAKING Y'ALL ENDURE THIS WAIT. Thank you all for having the patience of saint's!

So, this chapter was on the shorter side of things but there were important details in it none the less. We get a better look into Natsu and Lucy's past while at the same time, we've learned that something is changing within Natsu. But what could that change be? In the meantime, Romeo, Wendy, and Chelia have been captured by Sylph Labrynth and it's up to Natsu to save them. And it won't be long until the waterfolk are alerted to the capture of the three teens. And epic clash is about to ensue; one that will change everything.

In the meantime, I'm still going to be working on updating my other stories. I'm trying to make a set pattern here to help balance everything out. In case you are unaware, I've recently started a new story called "Vice" so feel free to check that out. With that said, here's how the updates are going to go: I'll update Vice next, followed by Vendetta, then Between Light and Shadow, and then I'll work my way back to this story. So expect a series of updates over the next few weeks. Hopefully I can keep this as my update schedule from here on out but we'll have to see.

Next time, CHAPTER 4: Battle

As per usual, if you guys have any comments or questions, please put it in your review and I'll make sure to respond to you in the next chapter. If you have anything else that you wish to ask me or clarify, you can PM me and I'll do my best to respond ASAP.

Until next time; read, review and most importantly of all, HAPPY READING!


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